


The Maps That Lead To You

by Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force



Category: RWBY
Genre: Abuse, Angst, F/F, feat. Blake being a mess, idiots to lovers, referenced abuse, road trip au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:29:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26175751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force
Summary: When her and her best friend agree to go on a road trip for the summer, Blake knows that it’ll be difficult to keep her ever growing feelings hidden.But perhaps she’s not the only one hiding.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 130
Kudos: 415





	1. Chapter 1

“We should take a road trip this summer.”

Blake quirks a brow and glances across her dorm room to give her roommate and best friend a inquisitive look, her lips twitching upwards into a fond smile at the sight of Yang hanging her head off of her bed and grinning at her goofily. Granted, when she had first met her, Blake didn’t think that Yang was the kind of person that she’d be naturally inclined to choose as a friend but as the months went on, she found herself choosing Yang again and again. It was as though she were helplessly drawn to her, always coming back to the same conclusion; she just couldn’t stay away, even when she tried. “Oh? And why’s that?”

“Because you’re stuck here for the summer since your folks have that big meeting thing for their company and I don’t want to deal with my Raven situations. We’re nineteen years old, Blake. We should be having fun!” Yang exlaims as she sits up, quickly making her way over to where Blake laid on her bed and fell on top of her, crossing her arms over Blake’s stomach and resting her chin on her arms. “C’mon. Just you, me and the open road. Who doesn’t want to take a trip with their best friend?”

“Yeah.” Blake echoes, her black cat ears pinning against her skull for a moment as her chest twists painfully. She had known for some time now that her feelings for Yang weren’t strictly platonic, just as she knew that spending  _ that  _ much time alone with Yang would be a beautiful kind of torture. She sighs heavily, biting her lip thoughtfully as she looking down at Yang’s face, bright and eager and hopeful. Blake swallows thickly as Yang’s smile turns into a pout and she knows she’s done for. How could she say no to  _ that face? _ “Fine. But we need to actually come with a plan. We can’t just wing it, you know.”

“Yes! You’re the best, Blake!” Yang laughs as she sits up and pumps her fist, an excited grin on her face as she turns to look at Blake fondly. “We are going to have  _ so  _ much fun. You won’t regret it, I promise, Blake.”

Blake rolls her eyes, ignoring the heat creeping up her neck as Yang pats her leg and stands up, returning to her own bunk as she whistles to herself happily. Blake’s eyes trail over her strong back for a long moment, mentally cursing and thanking whoever invented tank tops. She forces herself to look away, hiding her flushed face behind a book, desperately trying to ignore the urge to pull Yang back into her bed beside her.

Blake Belladonna suspected that she wasn’t going to survive this road trip. At least… not with her dignity still intact.

* * *

“Alright. I think that’s everything!” Yang chirps happily, grinning at Blake as she heaves the last of her gear into the back of her black and yellow, beat up truck. “You ready to go?”

“Unfortunately.” Blake deadpans standing up from her bench and quirking a brow at Yang’s black T-shirt. Across the front of it was a graphic of the Goatman cryptid from Vacuo, with words “FUCK YOU, GOATMAN!” printed on it. “Really? Again with the cryptid T-shirts?”

“Listen, we’re travelling across Anima this summer. What’s a little summer fun without a cryptid or two?”

“A normal vacation.” Blake teases, flicking Yang’s nose as she passed her, giggling lightly as she yelped indignantly. “Now come on. If I have to stay here any longer, I might go mad.”

As if on cue, a loud explosion is heard halfway across campus, soon followed by a loud, maniacal cackle and an exasperated shout of “Nora!” Blake and Yang turn to look at each other with matching expressions of alarm before they bolted for the truck, knowing full well that if they didn’t leave this instant, they would be dragged into some new chaos or another.

It wasn’t long before they were driving out of the town of Vale, windows down and their road trip playlist playing. Blake raised her hand to her sunglasses, adjusting them, content to use them as a viable excuse to stare at Yang subtly, enthralled with watching the way Yang sang along to her favourite songs. A soft sigh escaped her, as she leaned against her door and watched Yang, trailing her gaze over the freckles that marked her tanned skin and down to the hand that rested on the gear shift, biting back the impulse to reach out and hold it.

“‘Kay. So, we’re gonna be on the road for, like, 8 hours hours until we get to this small town. It’s really cool, actually. Apparently, it’s haunted.” Yang said with a smirk, as she turned to glare at Blake over her aviators. “You’re not scared of ghosts, right?”

“Of course not.” Blake snorts, rolling her eyes as she turned to look out of her window, a deep frown twisting her expression as her ears pinned back. When it comes down to it, she knows that it wasn’t the supernatural that you had to be wary of; it was the living. She inhales deeply, counts to ten and pushes all thoughts of  _ him _ from her mind before responding to Yang’s tease with one of her own. “What about you, Yang? Do I need to hold your hand? Perhaps you’d like to bury your face in my shoulder like you did last Hallowe’en?”

“That was one time, you ass! And everyone was terrified of that movie! You were the only one unfazed by it.” Yang laughs, shaking her head as she smirks again. “You’re just a horror nerd, is all. How do you love horror  _ this  _ much?”

“I enjoy the thrill. It’s nice, being able to get that rush of adrenaline while still being in control. Still being safe.” Blake finally answers, as she looked down at her lap and fiddled with her fingers. “It’s fascinating to see what kind of a story they tell with the monster. Are they simply evil? Are they a victim of circumstance? Can the heroes stop a viscious cycle? Will they win or was their failure predestined? Is there a meaning behind the movie or is it just a gore-fest?” Blake shrugs, glancing up at Yang, with a small, sad smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Plus… horror… sort of became an escape for me after my time with- with Adam, y’know? Horror movies were a fear that I could control. Adam wasn’t.”

Blake blinks slowly at her as Yang frowns and reaches over to take her hand, threading their fingers together and squeezing three times, her silent way of asking Blake if she needed a hug when she knew that Blake despises being vulnerable. Blake squeezes back twice, a silent confirmation, and Yang pulls her hand back and raises her arm welcomingly. Blake wiggles over the truck bench to her, curling into her side and closing her eyes as Yang’s arm wraps around her shoulders, her thumb brushing back and forth soothingly. Blake presses her nose into Yang’s collar, resting her hand over her abdomen, as she inhales deeply, drinking in the strong and quiet comfort that Yang was so willing to give. A soft hum escapes her as Yang plants a reassuring kiss to the top of her head, as affectionate as she ever was. Yang never made Blake feel guilty for needing comfort and reassurance. She never made Blake feel like she was weak for needing to be held. She made Blake feel safe enough to accept it, to let Yang hold her and support her when she needed it. She almost made it easy for Blake to ask for what she needed from her.

“We’ll take a break in a fewof hours, yeah?” Yang murmurs softly into her hair, seemingly content to drive with one hand. “Snack, stretch our legs and wake up a lil.”

“Sounds good.” Blake sighs, more than content herself to curl into her best friend. Maybe her own feelings weren’t strictly platonic… but Blake was happy to take what she could get because, in her mind, having Yang as a friend was far better than not having her at all.

* * *

“You disgust me. You’re my best friend and I love ya to death, but you disgust me.”

Blake pauses, chocolate covered licorice bullet halfway to her mouth, and turns to slowly face her friend as they pass a sign welcoming them into the town of Beacon. She narrows her eyes and very slowly and purposely places the candy into her mouth, staring stubbornly at Yang as her friend grimaces. “You eat salt and vinegar chips, Yang.”

“Your point being?”

“My point being that at least I’m not a fucking masochist. You’re basically eating the chip equivalent of pain, sunshine.” Blake says with an amused snort, reaching up to readjust her ponytail as Yang lets out an offended gasp. “I would say the truth hurts but you’d probably be into that.”

“How fucking dare- I can’t believe—“ Yang’s voice squeaks in playful outrage as she reached over to blindly bat at Blake’s shoulder. “—Listen here, you lil’ shit!”

“I’m listening. Do tell me more about your pain kink.”

“I don’t have a pain kink!” Yang growls playfully, turning to glare at Blake before pointing at her. “I  _ can _ and  _ will _ leave you on the side of this road, Belladonna.”

“You wouldn’t do that to me… would you?” Blake says softly, tilting her head and dropping her ears as she juts her lips out in a pout and looks at Yang with wide, pleading eyes. “You wouldn’t leave me to get picked off by coyotes and ghouls… right?” 

“...oh, that’s dirty. That is so fucking dirty.” Yang groans, running a hand through her hair as they passed a statue of a gentleman with a cane, the mayor presumably. “No. Nuh-Uh. Stop looking at me with them big ol’ eyes, Blake. It’s not going to work this time.”

_ ‘Well,”  _ Blake thinks to herself, tapping her leg thoughtfully, knowing full well that Yang was actively fighting against her weakness for Blake’s kicked puppy dog face.  _ ‘It looks like I have to bring out the big guns.’ _

“Yang? Have I ever told you that you’re, like, the best friend and roommate that I could ever have asked for?” Blake coos, biting back a smirk when Yang’s gaze softens, her jaw relaxing ever so slightly. “I’m just very lucky to have you in my life, you know? You’re-“

“Okay! Alright, okay,  _ fine!”  _ Yang relents with a whine, huffing indignantly as they pulled into a motel. She puts the car in park and turns to Blake with an expression of fond exasperation. “You know I hate it when you do that.”

“It’s not my fault you’re a big softy.” Blake shrugs, allowing her smirk to grow as she crosses her arms and meets her friend’s gaze. “But it’s not like I’d die out here so it wasn’t even that bad of a threat.” She muses, turning her head to glance around the old town.

“Hey, in all seriousness,” Yang says, her expression shifting to something far more tender as she places her arm along the back of the seat. “You know I’d never do something like that to you, right?”

“Of course I know that.” Blake answers, her heart beginning to race when Yang smiles oh so warmly at her. “Like I said… you’re a big softy.”

“Sure am.” Yang murmurs warmly, her hand drifting down to Blake’s shoulder and squeezing it affectionately before she pulls away. “Now move your butt. We need to go in and get a room before dinner, Princess.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not a princess?!”

“You’re next in line for a position of power, you had to convince your folks  _ not _ to send a body guard with you to school and you’ve had four different people fall in love with you. Sounds like a princess to me, Blake.”

“Okay. One; my father might run a legal company but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to take over when he retires. It’ll go to whoever he and the board determines will be the best leader for the business’s future. Two; the only reason they wanted to send a bodyguard was because Dad’s a worry wart. And finally-“ Blake pauses in her rant to give Yang a bewildered look, her ears pinning back in mild alarm. “Who the actual fuck has fallen in love with me?!”

“Sun Wukong, Ilia Amitola and Weiss Schnee. Literally all of them have asked you out.” Yang says blankly before a smirk grows across her face, her lilac eyes gleaming mischievously. “Weiss was the funniest, though. It was like watching somebody stepped out from the 1920’s in an attempt to court you like an old fashioned gentleman.”

“Shut up.” Blake muttered under her breath, her cheeks burning as Yang grins triumphantly at her. It wasn’t like she  _ wanted  _ people asking her out. Especially since her last relationship had ended so miserably. As she’s stewing in her own confusion as to  _ why  _ anyone would ask her out, she pauses, a sudden realisation coming to mind.“Wait… you said four. Who’s the fourth?” She inquires, scrunching up her nose in confusion as she tried to think of who else Yang might be talking about..

“Can’t tell you. Let’s just say that I promised her that I’d keep it a secret until she’s ready to tell you herself.” Yang says with a loud and nervous cough before reaching over to open her door. “Now come on. Let’s get inside, shall we?”

Blake quirks a brow as Yang quickly leaves the truck and heads to the truckbed to grab their suitcases, a distinct air of embarrassment following her. She has no clue who Yang could possibly be talking about but she  _ does  _ know that the poor girl was going to be sorely disappointed if she ever truly gets to know Blake like Yang does. Hell, Blake considered herself lucky that  _ Yang  _ hadn’t run for the hills by this point in their friendship. 

There was a small silence as the two women make their way to reception, their luggage in hand and fatigue slowly settling into their bones from the long drive, despite the numerous breaks that they took on the way up. A young man with short, blonde hair met them and smiled at them in a friendly manner. “Here for a room, ladies?”

“Yup. One night, please.” Yang confirms, leaning against the counter as the man began to check the records. “Anything you’ve got will do.”

“We do have a couple’s room available if that’s fine with you?”

Blake and Yang exchange a look before shrugging and nodding at each other. It wasn’t like they had never shared a bed before, both girls long since used to falling asleep on each other during movie night. Though Blake had to admit… the idea of actively choosing to sleep beside Yang was enough to make to make her heart race as the man booked them in and handed them their key with a cheerful goodbye, sending them on their way.

* * *

“Is that my shirt?”

Blake froze as Yang plops down beside her on the bed, distracting her from the book she’s reading. Blake glances over to Yang, mentally blanking at the sight of her orange tank top and boy shorts. “Come again?” She asks dumbly, forcing her gaze from Yang’s legs to her face, struggling against the warmth that crept across her cheeks.

“You’re wearing my shirt.” Yang says simply, leaning up on one arm and grinning teasingly up at her as she poked Blake’s bicep. “You  _ so  _ stole it from me.”

Blake glances down at the too big T-shirt that ended at mid thigh, hiding her purple shorts. The shirt was decorated with bumblebees, something that Blake found rather cute. She shrugs, turning her attention back to her book with a small smile. “It’s comfy.” She says, refusing to let Yang know that wearing her shirt was comforting to her. 

“I’ll buy you one for the holidays, then.” Yang chuckles, moving to crawl underneath the blanket and stretching out her limbs. “Hey, do you wanna watch a movie? You can pick.”

“I’ll grab my laptop.” 

Soon after, Blake finds herself resting against the motel pillows with her laptop on her lap and Yang curled up into her side, her head resting comfortably on Blake’s shoulder as they watched Beauty and the Beast. Blake tries to focus on the movie, she really does. But with Yang’s breath ghosting over her bare collar, her arms curled loosely around Blake’s waist, it was becoming increasing hard not to look down at her face as she watched the movie, seemingly enthralled with the story. As they watch, Blake’s arm curls around Yang’s shoulder, causing her friend to nestle a little more firmly into her side as she lets out a small, tired hum that vibrates along Blake’s skin. For a moment, Blake lifts her head to stare almost pleadingly at the ceiling, silently begging whatever God there was to give her the strength to resist the urge to lean down and claim Yang’s lips with her own. It was torture, being this close to Yang, and it was heaven. It was simultaneously overwhelming and not enough. She was content with what they had and yet, a small part of her wanted  _ more.  _

A soft snore interrupted her lamentations and she sighs heavily, glancing back down to see that Yang had fallen asleep against her chest, arms clutching her tightly. Carefully, Blake moves the laptop to the bedside table and lays back down, her head meeting the pillows with a soft grunt as Yang lets out a soft, displeased whine in her sleep, her fingers curling tightly into the shirt that Blake wore.

“You are _going_ _to kill me.”_ Blake says in a strained whisper into Yang’s hair, running a hand tenderly along her bare shoulder under the blanket, coming to a rest over Yang’s waist. She lowers her head to press her lips to Yang’s head, lingering and inhaling the family scent of her shampoo shakily. “You know that, right?”

Her only answer being a sleepy grumble as Yang hooks a leg over Blake’s hip and buries her face into Blake’s chest, her arms curling around her waist just a fraction tighter as Blake sighs and brushes her thumb against Yang’s hip affectionately before closing her eyes.

Blake Belladonna was, in all ways but the desirable one, fucked.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both the road trip and Blake’s inner turmoil continue in this chapter.

“Good morning, sunshine!”

Blake grins at the miserable moan that comes from the mass of blankets. Anyone would think that Yang was the morning person out of the two of them but it was not. Blake, over the past year of being roommates with Yang, had quickly found that Yang was very slow to rise in the mornings, a stark contrast to Blake’s own six am wake up call. 

“What time is it?” Yang asks, voice still rough from sleep and certainly not helping with Blake’s attraction to her best friend, thank you very much.

“Seven.”

“Fuck you.”

“Look, you’re the one that wanted to explore this town before we have to leave. That means getting your butt out of bed. Now…” Blake smirks, her hands gripping the blanket and giving it a sharp, well practiced yank. She curls the blanket over her arm and bites back a giggle at the loud and indignant squeal that leaves Yang lips as she sits up and glares at Blake furiously. “Up and at ‘em, Yang.”

“Why should I?”

“I’ll buy you coffee.” Blake says slowly, waving the tantalising offer in front of Yang’s face, knowing full well that her friend’s addiction to caffeine would be too much to resist. “I’ll even buy breakfast.”

“ _ Ugh.  _ Fine. I’m up.” Yang groans, grimacing as she runs a hand through her hair, her fingers catching on knots before she groggily stands up and shuffles towards the bathroom, pausing in front of Blake to glare balefully at her, though the effect was somewhat ruined by her messy hair falling into her face. “But only because I choose to. Not because you’re bribing me with food.”

“You’re a college student. Food is the one surefire way to get you to do anything.” Blake chuckles fondly, playfully pushing Yang towards the bathroom door. “Now  _ go,  _ you big colossal dork.”

Yang stumbles a little as she wanders off to collect her things from her suitcase, grumbling quietly under her breath before disappearing into the bathroom, leaving Blake to watch after her with a fond smile, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. A soft sigh escapes her and she returns back to the bed, settling down to read her book while she waited for Yang to get ready. 

* * *

“Alright. I love you again.”

“Wait… you stopped? I couldn’t tell.”

Blake giggled as Yang snorts into her coffee, her lilac eyes narrowing ever so slightly, even as her lips pull up into a warm smile. Blake smiles back, heart fluttering as Yang winks playfully at her and turns back to her pancakes. “I’m guessing you want to head to the souvenir shop first? Add yet another shirt to your collection?” Blake asks dryly, giving Yang’s shirt an unamused glance. A simple graphic of the Lochness Monster sat in the centre of the chest, surrounded by the phrase “Nessie; Queen of the loch and of my heart.”

“You know me so well.” Yang swoons dramatically, falling back into her seat as she fans her face. “What’s a damsel to do when the dashing gentlewoman knows her down to her very soul?” Yang says in a perfect imitation of a Southern Belle, pressing her free hand against her chest as though she were about to faint.

“You’re so weird.” Blake murmurs around a mouthful of pancake, her cheeks burning as a mental image of her swooping Yang off her feet and into her arms comes to mind. Or perhaps it would be better if it were Yang scooping her up? Yang  _ was  _ taller than her after all, even if it was only by a few inches. With her well built arms… 

Blake blinks blankly and tries to casually reach for her glass of water, suddenly needing to distract herself from a thirst that has nothing to do with her parched throat.

“Yeah. But that’s why you love me.” Yang says with a small shrug of her shoulders before pushing her empty plate off to the side and leaning on the table in between them, lazily glancing around the small town diner. “So, there’s no towns for the next two days so we’re gonna be camping out until we get to Kuro Yuri. You cool with that?”

“Yang, I grew up on Menagerie.” Blake says, thankfully in a much calmer tone of voice than her current mental state would suggest. She quirks a brow, smile turning slightly smug as Yang watches her. “I’ve had spiders the size of dinner plates crawl into my room in the middle of the night. I doubt that the forests of Vale have anything scarier than that.”

“... dinner plate?” Yang asks, going a little pale at the thought, a stricken look entering her eyes before a disgusted shudder runs through her body. “Fuck that shit, I’m out.”

“They’re actually very cute.” Blake says nonchalantly, pushing her own plate aside and smiling teasingly at her friend. “You’d look so adorable with a little spider friend perched on your shoulder.”

“God,  _ no. _ I’m not going near anything that has more than four legs, thank you very little.” Yang mutters, rubbing her face as though she could feel spiders crawling across her face. “Just…  _ no.” _

“You know…” Blake says slowly, her eyes shining with mischief as she watches Yang with a sly smirk. She leans forward across the table, her ears swiveling forward. “I  _ was  _ considering getting a pet tarantula. I’ve always wanted one, you know.”

“ _ Why would you want a pet tarantula?!”  _ Yang exlaims, her lilac eyes going wide as she cringes away from Blake, as though half expecting her friend to pull one out from the pocket her of purple flannel shirt. She rubs at her face again and Blake giggles, amused by the sight… even as Yang glares at her.

“They’re fascinating animals.” Blake shrugs, quirking a brow lazily at Yang as she leans back in her seat and stretches. “Plus, my mum used to keep one when I was a little girl. I loved that thing.” She chuckles softly, a bittersweet nostalgia filling her chest as she remembers the scarless, fearless little girl she used to be. 

“If I agree to letting you keep a tarantula in our dorm, would you promise to keep it the fuck away from me and my belongings?”

“Yang, I’m  _ teasing you _ .” Blake snorts, rolling her eyes fondly as Yang drinks the last of coffee, a small half smile crossing her lips when Yang huffs.

“I know. But you’ve talked about it before and it always makes you happy so… if having a pet tarantula would you happy, then… I’m okay with that.” Yang answers with a warm smile, her eyes softening as she watches Blake. “Just as long as the damn thing stays on your side of the room.” She adds, making a disgusted face at Blake before winking playfully at her again.”

“I-“ Blake falters, taken aback by the gesture. She knew Yang was a genuinely kind and selfless person, had known for a long time now. But sometimes, Yang would say or do something that would it incredibly hard not to fall harder for her. She swallows thickly and hides her sentiment behind a smirk and a small laugh, shaking her head as she moves to stand up. “Thank you, Yang. But that won’t be necessary. Ready to head off?” She asks, eager to change the topic.

“Sure.” Yang says after a moment of studying her quietly, a small and worried crease forming between her brows as she stands up. “Let’s go.”

Blake follows Yang, her chest twisting and swelling painfully. She could laugh and pretend. She could joke and make fun. But it was in those soft, genuine moments that Blake struggles the most. Moments when she saw how much Yang values her. How much she values their friendship. How much the bond that they shared meant to Yang when she knew that the girl has suffered a great many losses, though she hides it well. It means so much to Blake that would consider her to be a person who’s happiness was worth protecting. 

Maybe she’s just selfish for the way her heart twists when Yang calls her a friend. Maybe she’s selfish for the way she wants to press close to Yang, to curl into her side as Yang’s arms wrap around her. 

Maybe Blake was selfish for loving Yang, when what they had made Yang so obviously happy.

* * *

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Oh, come on! It’s perfect! It even fits your aesthetic.”

Blake rubs her nose, ears tilting back in exasperation as she stares at the black T-shirt emblazoned with a silhouette of a nameless, shambling figure coloured like the bisexual flag, with the phrase “Local Bisexual Cryptid” on it that Yang was currently holding up proudly, a delighted grin on her face. “Yang, cryptid shirts are  _ your _ thing. And  _ how _ is it even perfect for me?  _ You’re _ the cryptid nerd here, not me.”

“To answer your second question,” Yang says with a quirked brow, lips tilting upwards into a slight smile. “You, my friend, are  _ the  _ bisexual cryptid on campus during your exams. You focus on your studies so hard that if anybody sees you, nobody’ll believe them. Thus-“ Yang pauses for a split second to playfully poke Blake’s nose, earning a small squeak of surprise. “You’re a bisexual cryptid.”

“Whatever. Still doesn’t explain why you want me to get a cryptid shirt when it’s clearly  _ your  _ thing.”

“But it could be  _ our _ thing, Blake. Together!”

Blake freezes at the words, hating how they make her heart race. She looks up at Yang’s face, wide eyed and hopeful, as she fidgets in front of Blake like an overexcited golden retriever bringing home a new toy. Blake closes her eyes and sighs heavily before holding out her hand in defeat. She was hopeless. She  _ knew _ that she was hopeless. But when she opens her eyes at the sound of Yang’s delighted laugh and watches her eyes light up happily, a dazzling grin spreading across her face as she hands Blake her new shirt, Blake found that she just didn’t have it in her to be mad about it.

* * *

“Blake! What the actual fuck did you do?!”

Blake sinks back into her seat with her feet resting on the dash, a satisfied grin crossing her face as Yang finally, after nearly fifteen minutes of driving along to Blake’s chosen playlist, snaps. 

“Whatever do you mean, Yang?” Blake says innocently, opening one eye lazily to watch as Yang glares at the stereo system, her eyes wide with disbelief as Tom Jones’ voice sings form the speakers. “I have done no wrong.”

“Don’t get all coy with me, woman.” Yang says through a helpless laugh, her eyes narrowing at Blake slightly as she glances at her. “I  _ know  _ “What’s New, Pussycat” isn’t this long. It’s been fifteen minutes, Blake! Fifteen!”

“I don’t see what you mean.” Blake drawls out lazily, biting her cheek to stop her giggle from slipping out. “Maybe you’re going mad.”

“Oh my God. You’re such a little shit. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. But you like that about me. I make life interesting.”

“You sure do. Now please, have mercy. Turn this playlist off.” Yang begs, just as the song begins anew. “I’ll let you burrow that bumblebee shirt you like so much. Hell, I’ll  _ give  _ it to you if that’s what it takes!”

Blake finally lets out her laughter, dropping her feet to the floor of Yang’s truck and grabbing her scroll, quickly changing from her “Prank Yang” playlist and switching it back to her road trip one before turning to Yang with a smirk. “It’s not so much fun when it’s on the other foot, is it, Xiao Long?”

“... that was revenge for me playing “My Heart Will Go On” whenever you missed at beer pong last week, isn’t it?”

“It  _ so  _ was.” Blake says smugly, crossing her arms and turning to her friend with cheeky smile. “I told you not to test me, sunshine.”

“Ass.” Yang murnurs, her voice far more affectionate than the word would suggest as she glances over at Blake to give a small, fond look. “How many repeats were on that playlist, anyway?”

“A hundred.”

“A hun _ dred?!” _ Yang sputters, her jaw falling slack as a bewildered expression crossed her face. “Are you  _ kidding  _ me?!”

“No. I wanted to see how long it would take you to notice.” Blake says calmly, before a loud yawn escapes her and she turns her head to look out of her window at the darkening sky. The trees were starting to cast long shadows and she could feel the chill of the night start to sink in. “We should probably park for the night, huh?”

“That’s a good idea. There should be a small area up here that’s usually pretty safe for campers. Which is kind of what we are, I guess. We’re just using the bed of my truck and a bunch of blankets instead of sleeping bags.” Yang says throughtfully, as she drives, carefully driving them to the designated spot. “Help me throw swap out the blankets and luggage?” She asks as soon as they’re parked.

Blake readily agrees and soon enough, the two women are laying under the blankets and gazing up at the stars quietly together, shoulder to shoulder as the stars began to slowly make their presence. 

“This is one thing that I hate about towns. You miss out on stuff like this.” Yang sighs softly, drawing Blake’s attention to her. Her gaze was distant and far away, as though reliving an old memory. “Summer used to spend time with Rubes and I just talking about the stars, y’know. It always helped me feel less alone.”

“Really?” Blake asks softly, rolling into her side and propping her head up on her hand, elbow cushioned by the pillows beneath them. “They’ve always made me feel small and alone. Like… my presence is nothing in the grand scheme of things.”

“That’s not how I look at them.” Yang smiles sadly, glancing over Blake for a moment before turning her gaze sky-ward again. “I struggled with friends growing up. I could  _ make  _ a friend at the drop of a hat. Point me at anybody and I could get them to open up and become friends with them super quickly. But  _ keeping  _ friends was another matter altogether. It was like, even as a kid, people had these…  _ ideas  _ and  _ expectations  _ of what I should be like and it got worse as I grew up. It made it hard to form deep friendships. Ruby’s always been the opposite.” Yang chuckles softly, shaking her head fondly. “ _ Making  _ friends was hard for her but once you were her friend? That was it.”

“Kids can be pretty shallow.” Blake agrees, giving Yang a small, sympathetic smile. “I say that they were missing out on the real you.”

“Thanks, Blake.” Yang’s voice was soft and grateful as she reached out to gently tap Blake’s jaw, a smile lighting up her eyes as she looked up at her. “It’s not so bad. I’ve found a pretty good group now and that’s all that matters.”

“You and Nora do match each other’s chaotic streaks well.”

“Yup!” Yang laughs softly before sobering up, a serious expression crossing her face. “But as a kid, I was so scared that I’d never find anybody that would want to stick around for me. Finding out about Raven fucked me up a lot. Summer nearly killed dad for leaving that photo album out.” Yang sighs, a heavy weight falling across her that made Blake’s heart ache for her friend. “One night, just before she started to get really sick, Sunmer took me out to the backyard and sat with me in the hammock, just braiding my hair and she told me all sorts of stories about the stars. How no matter where you are, there’s always going to be someone looking at the exact same star as you.”

“That’s beautiful, Yang.”

“Yeah. My favourite one was- God, I wish I could remember it word for word but it’s been so long.” Yang frowns, her nose scrunching up in distaste. “But the general idea was that when the world was first made, humanity and faunus came about because of star dust and that if two people were born from dust that used to exist near each other, then gravity would eventually bring them back together.” She chuckles, shrugging self consciously as she looked away from Blake, her cheeks tinting a dark, embarrassed pink. “It’s dumb… but it always reassured me to think about there being somebody out there that would want to return to me.”

“It’s not dumb. I think it’s beautiful.” Blake murmurs, gently laying a hand on Yang’s bicep and squeezing gently, brushing her thumb across her skin far more tenderly than she meant to, as helpless as the people in Yang’s favourite tale. “And for what’s its worth…  _ anybody  _ that can take one look at you and even  _ think  _ about leaving you behind is a  _ fucking dumbass.” _

“You going soft on me, Belladonna?” Yang teases, though there was no mistaking the hitch in her voice that let Blake know that her words meant a lot to Yang. 

“Never.” Blake says in a tone that said otherwise before clearing her throat and rolling into her back and tugging the blanket up to her chest. “Uh, we should probably get some sleep.”

“Yeah. Yeah, we should.” Yang murmurs, as they both settle down for the night.

But alas, Blake had always been one to feel the cold easily. Soon, she starts to shiver, despite the blankets surrounding them. She rolls onto her side, curling up into a ball to preserve body heat until she feels a pair of warm and familiar arms curl around her waist from behind and gently pull her against an equally strong body. Her breathing falters and soon, Yang’s nose presses into the back of her neck as she curls her body around Blake’s, hugging her close.

“You’re freezing.” Yang whispers softly, her voice low with concern, oblivious to the way Blake’s heart seemed to be bursting out through her chest. “Seriously, Blake. If I poured water on you, it’d probably just freeze.”

“I grew up on a tropical island. I’m not built for this weather.” Blake says, struggling to keep her voice even as she hesitantly places her hands over Yang’s, swallowing thickly as Yang takes them in her own and gently starts to rub warmth back into them. “I’ll be fine. You don’t have to be, like, my personal space heater or something.”

“Dude, you’re my best friend. Like hell am I going to let you freeze your ass off out here. I care about you too much for that.”

The words both melt and pierce Blake’s heart, making her want to both cry and smile simultaneously. Blake was afraid she might do both until Yang spoke up again, as she tucked Blake protectively under her chin, away from the elements.

“Besides… your parents terrify me. I don’t want them to find out that I let their only kid get frostbite.”

It was enough to dispel the tension in Blake’s body, pulling a small, tired giggle from her as she relaxes against Yang, closing her eyes and sinking into her body, absorbing her warmth. It doesn’t take long for her shivering to stop and soon after, she falls asleep in Yang’s arms.

Unfortunately, this meant that she’s oblivious to the tender kiss that Yang presses against her cheek and the adoring gaze that crosses her features as she watches Blake drift off to sleep, a helpless smile on her face as she lays down and presses her nose into the back of Blake’s neck.

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so we see that the girls are fiercely protective of each other, ready to lend support at a moment’s notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be abuse mentioned in this chapter and it does get a little heavy. Keep that in mind when reading.

“Blake? You wanna wake up, bud?”

Blake groans and presses her face into the pillow that she lays on, nuzzling further into it with a small, sleepy whine and tightening her hold on it. “No. Too comfy.” She mumbled, frowning as a small, nervous chuckle emanates from her pillow.

“I’m glad that I’m a comfy pillow and all… but I kind of need to stretch my legs, Blake.” Yang says, from somewhere above Blake’s head, gently tapping Blake’s shoulder.

Blake pulls back slightly and opens her eyes, her ears pinning flat against her head as she processes what she’s seeing. Her pillow was not a pillow at all. No, her “pillow” was actually Yang’s chest. A chest that she had just been nuzzling into, her fingers tightly curling into the fabric of Yang’s shirt. She sits up with a squeak, her heart racing and her face burning. Her ears are ramrod straight, the fur covering them standing up on end. She busies herself with running a hand through her hair, trying very hard not to look at Yang’s face. “Uh… sor-sorry about that.” She apologises in a much higher tone of voice than she usually speaks in, she pauses, inhales deeply and finally turns to Yang with an unsure smile. “I guess I must have gotten pretty cold last night.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.” Yang says, her expression shifting to what Blake swears could almost be disappointment but it’s gone too soon for her to be sure. Quickly, Yang stands up and stretches, quickly making her way off the truck and pulling on her shoes before shooting Blake a quick, tight smile. “I’m just gonna go for a walk while you wake up. I’ll be back soon.”

Blake frowns, tilting her head as Yang wanders off, her hands slipping into her pockets as she walks away. Blake sighs, rubbing her face as though to rid herself of the bright blush that she knows must be covering her face by now. Cuddling with your best friend was one thing. But it was quite another to wake up with your face face buried in her-

“Shut  _ up, _ brain.” Blake groans to herself as she falls onto her back and drapes an arm over her face as if to push the memory of waking up to  _ that  _ particular view out of her brain. 

Slowly, she sits up and begins to get ready, swapping out the luggage for the blankets again in hopes of distracting herself from the lingering warmth at the base of her neck, ignoring the way her mind kept circling back to just how  _ nice  _ it would be to wake up in Yang’s arms like that more often.

* * *

“Mercury just texted you.”

“... what does that bastard want from me?”

“He wants to know if you can do a little research on his behalf for-“

“No. Tell him to fuck off right to Satan’s asshole for all I care.” Yang grumbles, glowering angrily under her aviators as she drives, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. “I’ve already completed my half of the assignment. Why the  _ hell _ should I do his for him?”

“Apparently, he’s been busy catching up with an old friend and plans on going out with her this weekend.” Blake reads the incoming text with a disgusted sneer, her ears pinning in agitation against her head. “He’s fucked you over twice now during projects. Can’t you just ask the professor to swap you with someone else in the program?”

“I’ve tried but nobody wants to swap. I’m stuck with him, short of one of us getting badly injured and needing to be pulled from the program to heal.”

“I could break his legs.” Blake says thoughtfully, tapping her finger against her lips as Yang gives her a small amused look. “Don’t look at me like that. I really will break his legs. Just give me the word and I’ll grab Nora and between the two of us? He’s out for the next semester.”

“Blake.” Yang chuckles softly, her grip on the wheel loosening, her jaw relaxing, as she laughs. The tension eases from her body and she heaves a heavy sigh. “I’ll be fine. But thanks for making me laugh.”

“Of course. But just so you know… the offer still stands. I’ve heard how he speaks to the women on campus.” Blake narrows her eyes, disgust clear in her voice once more as glares out of the window. “If he ever lays a hand on you, I’ll be the first one on his doorstep.”

“I don’t exactly need you to protect me, Blake. I can take care of myself.”

“No. No, you don’t.” Blake sighs and leans her forehead against the cool glass of her window, a heavy weight falling across her chest. The idea of somebody she cared about being treated the same way Adam treated her... “You could probably snap his spine with a flick of your little finger, honestly. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop worrying about my best friend.”

“I get it. I feel the same way about you, y’know.” Yang reaches over to poke Blake’s shoulder with a small grin. “But it's nice to know that you care, you big softy.”

“Shut up.” Blake huffs, turning to Yang with a playful glare, growling when she flicks Blake’s nose. 

“Make me.”

_ ‘Can you not say shit that sends my brain into a bi panic?’ _ Blake thinks to herself as she snorts and butts her head against the window, the coolness of the glass a stark contrast with how her skin burned.  _ ‘Because those are dangerous words, Yang.’ _

“Just focus on driving so we don’t crash, you big dork.” Blake murmurs softly, leaning against her door and looking away to hide the flushing of her cheeks as Yang chuckles under her breath.

* * *

“Hi, mum.” Blake smiles as she leans against the side of the truck bed, back supported by blankets and pillows as she looks down at her laptop screen at the image of her mother’s delighted face. “How are things in Menagerie?”

“Oh, this whole law firm meeting is keeping us busy. Your father’s having a difficult time getting away from conversations right now so he told me to send his love to his baby girl.”

“Aw!”

“Shut up, Yang.” Blake flushes as she turns to glare at Yang when she climbs up onto the truck bed and settles beside her, a teasing smile on her face. Blake reaches over to flick her nose, smirking at the indignant squeal Yang lets out. “I happen to have it on good account that  _ your  _ family calls you their “Sunny Little Dragon,” so don’t even start with me.”

“See how mean your daughter is to me, Kali?” Yang whines, pouting as she pokes her head into frame, staring at the camera sadly. “So unfair.”

“Is my fierce little panther cub being a bully to her best friend?”

“MOTHER!”

“I’m sorry. Fierce little panther cub?” Yang echoes, a slow grin crossing her face as she turns to watch the way Blake turns a bright red, her ears pressing flat against her head, her cheeks puffing out in embarrassment. “Oh, God. That’s too cute!”

“Why would you do this to me?” Blake ignores Yang and glares at her mother, her amber eyes narrowed as Kali grins innocently back at her, no shame whatsoever in her gaze. “Do you have any idea how insufferable she’s going to be now, mum? You’re meant to be on my side!”

“Sorry, dear. You’ve just always been so adorable when you get embarrassed. You might be all grown up but you’re still that same little girl that would dramatically flop to the ground when her mummy and daddy would embarrass her.”

“Stop talking.”

“Absolutely not.”

Blake sighs wearily, lifting a hand to her nose and pinching it tightly as she closes her eyes, shaking her head as Yang laughs softly and shifts away to give Blake a little more space to talk with her mother. 

“You remind me so much of your father.” Kali says softly, the fondness in her tone making Blake open her eyes to stare at her curiously. “You’re both so driven and dedicated. Loyal and kind and compassionate. I wasn’t surprised when you decided to follow in his footsteps, honey.”

“Yeah, well… I don’t think I’ll ever be as good of a lawyer as dad is.” Blake admits with a small, self-conscious laugh, glancing away from her mother’s concerned frown. “I mean… I’ll never be able to live up to him.”

“You don’t have to. You’re not your father, for as much as you remind me of him. You’re  _ Blake  _ Belladonna and you’ll do things the way you’ve always done them;  _ your  _ way.” Kali’s eyes shine with affection, her smile soft and full of a pride that Blake doesn’t believe she deserves. Kali’s cat’s ears flick once, a small sigh leaving her as a deep sadness enters her golden eyes, her mouth twisting into a pained frown. “We were so worried for so long… but look at you. You’ve pulled yourself out and you’re doing something for  _ yourself _ . That you  _ chose  _ to do. We’re very proud of you, Blake.”

“Thanks.” Blake bites her tongue, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. How could they be proud of her when she had hurt them so badly? How could they still even  _ love  _ her after what she did? Had they blacked out that part of her past? How could they look at her and see anything to be proud of? Blake pauses to blink away tears as the painful thoughts rush through her head, words that weren’t her own but the echoes of  _ him _ . She breathes in deeply and pushes them back out. He was gone. He was wrong. He couldn’t hurt her again. She was safe. “I love you guys.”

Oh, sweetie. We love you too.” Kali murmurs, after a moment of surprised silence passes over her. She smiles at Blake, her gaze gentle as always, and tilts her head slightly. “So… is my little girl seeing anyone?”

Blake doesn’t know whether to be grateful for the topic change or irritated by the topic  _ choice  _ as she and Kali continue to banter back and forth, the conversation helping to sooth old scars that lay across Blake’s heart. As she hangs up, she glances up and notices Yang watching her with a small smile, lilac gaze warm as she fiddles with her scroll. Blake flushes, rolling her eyes slightly with a fond chuckle. “My mother’s favourite pastime continues to be embarrassing me.”

“It’s sweet.” Yangs says softly, glancing down at her scroll for a moment before meeting Blake’s gaze one more. “That you two are so close, I mean.”

“Yeah, well. We were closer when I was a kid but…” Blake hesitates, biting her lip anxiously. Yang knows that Blake had been in a toxic relationship before going away to college. She knows that Adam had made her feel small, gotten into her head and left his mark. But she didn’t know the  _ extent  _ of what had happened. “The whole… um… situation with my ex happened and… you know.” She shrugs helplessly, rubbing her wrist nervously.

“I’m sorry.” Yang says, her lips twisting into a frown, her lilac eyes almost seeming to burn red. “If you ever need somebody to break his legs-“

“Don’t worry.” Blake laughed, dark and bitter, her chest clenching painfully. If Yang knew the truth… what would she think of her? “He can’t get to me anymore.”

“Good.” Yang says firmly, her jaw clenching for a moment before she slowly reaches over to squeeze Blake’s hand, her thumb brushing over her knuckles tenderly. “You deserve better than that.”

“I know.”

And Blake did. She knew she hadn’t deserved how she had been treated. And she wanted to believe that she deserved the love and pride of her friends and family. But his words still stuck to her, coming back every so often to remind her of the harsh words hissed into her ears and the cruel hand that clutched her arm. He was long gone, but it still hurt.

“Hey. Since we’re getting to a motel tomorrow, why don’t we use your laptop to watch something?” Yang suggests, tilting her head slightly as she gave Blake a small smile. “I’ll even be your space heater again.” She adds teasingly, smirking when Blake groans.

“It’s not my fault that I’m drawn to heat sources. And your body temperature is inhumanly high.”

Blake can’t help but grumble, despite knowing that she could never stay mad at Yang and her gentle teasing. This time, when they curl up to watch a movie, Blake lays her head on Yang’s shoulder, snuggling up into her side in an attempt to siphon off her warmth as the laptop is perched on Yang’s lap. Blake finds herself quickly lulled to sleep by the gentle sensation of Yang playing with her hair, never tugging and always gentle, her fingertips lightly scratching at Blake’s scalp as Blake pays more attention to the steady rhythm of Yang’s heart than to the movie, despite Legally Blonde being one of their favourites. She closes her eyes, her hand moving to rest on Yang’s abdomen, subconsciously stroking her thumb back and forth along the fabric of her shirt as her breathing begins to deepen.

“Hey. You’re not falling asleep on me, are you?” Yang whispers into her hair, chuckling softly when Blake lets out a small, incoherent grumble, already drifting off to sleep.

* * *

_ “After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me?!” _

_ “Adam… you’re drunk. You need to calm-“ _

_ Blake cries out as a hand strikes her jaw, knocking her against a wall. She trembles, leaning heavily against it as she regains her bearings. The strike itself isn’t surprising anymore. Her mind had grown numb to the countless bruises that littered her body, always strategically covered up lest somebody discovers them. Her tongue brushes her lip, flinching at the familiar taste of blood from the newest split in it. She bites back a whimper, knowing full well that it would only enrage him further. _

_ “I’m the only one that has ever understood you. Your friends, your family? They don’t know you like I do.” Adam growls, his voice slurred by the alcohol he had consumed that night. “You are  _ **_nothing_ ** _ without me. Nobody will ever love you like I do and you want to throw all of that, all of our memories away, like they mean nothing to you? Like  _ **_I_ ** _ mean nothing to you?!” _

_ “You know that’s not what this is.” Blake forces out, ears pinned and her eyes wide with fear as she focused on the carpet. She doesn’t look at him. She won’t give him that power. She  _ **_can’t_ ** _ give him that power. “But I can’t do this anymore.” _

_ “You’re being hysterical, my love.” Adam’s voice shifts to a croon, one that used to make her feel loved and valued but now brings only pain. He reaches out to her, his rough fingers gripping her chin and something in Blake snaps.  _

_ Something that she thought had long since been beaten out of her, broken and damaged beyond repair. It flares to life suddenly, a burst of righteous anger that has always burned brightly, something that screamed at the injustice in their world and demanded that she fight for those that couldn’t fight for themselves. But now… it screams for her to fight for herself. Her eyes snap open and she jerks her head away, smacking his hand away sharply as she turns to glare at him, fury turning her amber eyes to molten gold. “Don’t touch me!” She snarls, her body shaking as Adam takes a single, shocked step back.  _

_ His eyes are wide with alarm, his body falling slack as he stares at her dumbly. For a single moment, Blake feels a wave of satisfaction, but it only lasts for a moment before Adam’s face twists into a furious sneer and he lunges forward, fingers tight around her throat. She gasps as her head bounces off of the wall and grips at the wrist, struggling against the hand choking her. She digs her nails in, a sudden desperation to survive setting in.  _

_ She couldn’t die! _

_ She  _ **_refuses_ ** _ to die! _

_ With as much force as she can, she slams her heeled foot into his, digging in as far as she can. His grip loosens enough for Blake to suck in a gasping breath. She digs her nails in further and brings her knee up sharply, connecting with Adam’s groin and shoving him away as he crumpled to the floor. She runs, her chest heaving with panic as she realises that she’s just cornered herself in the kitchen.  _

_ “Blake!” _

_ A whimpering sob escapes her as something connects with her back, sending her flying against a counter, the angle of the blow landing against her ribs and drawing a sharp cry from her. As she hears Adam charging at her, her eyes land on a knife resting on top of the counter and instinctively grabs it, twisting around just as Adam lunges at her. She stares into his face, blue eyes wide with shock as he looks down at the blade buried into his chest, and a barely audible “Oh” falls from his lips. Blake uses all of her strength to push him away, watching in horror as Adam falls to the ground, blood pooling around him from the wound in his chest. Her own chest grows tight, her breathing becoming jagged and painful and sharp as she looks down to see the blood covering her hands. Her vision blurs and she stumbles away, falling to her knees with a choked cry, tears falling from her eyes as she sobs and dry heaves, pained gasps leaving her throat. _

_ She couldn’t stay. She had to call someone. She didn’t  _ **_have_ ** _ anyone. But with trembling hands, she pulls her scroll out from her jeans, blood staining the device as she dials a number anyway, her free hand muffling her sobs. _

_ “Blake? Baby girl, is that you?” _

_ Blake sobs, loud and broken, to her mother, hyperventilating as she finally hears her mother’s voice for the first time in months.  _

_ “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” _

* * *

A scream leaves Blake as she wakes, and she shoots up, eyes wide and body trembling as she looks desperately around her. She’s in the back of a truck, under a bunch of blankets, in a forest. That means that…

“Blake? Hey, what’s wrong?”

Blake turned to face Yang, who was sitting up and watching her worriedly as Blake’s breathing becomes shorter. A small sob escapes Blake and she lunges towards Yang, clinging tightly to her and sobbing painfully into her neck. Yang doesn’t hesitate to hold her, one hand curling around Blake’s head and the other wrapping around Blake’s waist and pulling her into her lap. Yang strokes Blake’s head tenderly, holding her tightly and rocking them back and forth as she murmurs gentle reassurances into her ear.

“Shhh. I’ve got you. It’s okay. You’re safe.” Yang says softly, her voice thick with emotion as Blake cries into her neck. “I’m right here, Blake. I’m here. I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you.” Her voice softens as she nuzzles her nose against the outer shell of Blake’s ear. Blake hands clutch at her shirt, desperately needing to be close to her. “I know it hurts and I know you’re scared but I need you to breathe for me. Come on, you can do it. There, that’s it. Good girl. Keep breathing for me.” 

Yang coaxes Blake into a steady rhythm, breathing with her and slowly calming her down. By the time Blake’s breathing has evened out, the sky has started to lighten, the sun coming up as the day starts.

“There you are.” Yang says gently, when Blake pulls back. Yang smiles shakily and gently wipes away Blake’s tears, her thumb brushing her cheeks as Blake leans into her touch. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Blake rasps, feeling drained and numb. She slowly blinks at Yang, feeling a flash of guilt at the tired look in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Remember what you said about Cardin? How, as your best friend, you’re gonna worry about me and have my back?” Yang’s voice is gentle as her hand moves to card through Blake’s hair, her gaze filled with concern. “Same applies to you. You needed me and I was more than willing to be here for you. You’re my best friend. I care about you. Okay?”

“Ok-Okay.” Blake says weakly, shivering. She watches as Yang rubs her arms, trying to keep her warm.

“How do you feel?”

“Tired.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame you.” Yang sighs, glancing around them for a moment before laying down and pulling Blake with her. “C’mere. Let’s try to get some sleep, yeah? If you’re still tired when we leave, you can sleep in the truck.”

Blake nods silently as Yang bundles the blankets around them, her arms holding Blake firmly against her as Blake focuses on Yang. She swallows thickly, turning her head into Yang’s shoulder.

“Unless you need to talk about it?”

“Later.” Blake mumbles, tucking her head under Yang’s chin and curling into her. She feels Yang nod against her head, her hand moving to play with Blake’s hair gently. “Just… can you-“

“Of course.”

Yang kisses the top of her head, holding her as close as possible. Blake can still feel the nightmare in the back of her mind. She can still smell the alcohol on Adam’s breath and feel the warmth of his blood on her hands… but it’s easier to ignore with daylight chasing the shadows of the night away, casting her world in a warm golden glow...

Not unlike the woman that held her now.

  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blake opens up to Yang and the girls finally get to hear their first cryptid story of the trip.

Blake awakes to a gentle hand on her shoulder, fingers curling around her arm and thumb stroking her skin soothingly. She blinks, staring at the inside of a truck before turning her head to gaze up at her best friend, her brow furrowing slightly as they drive.

“Yang?” Blake rasps, slowly sitting up and gazing groggily at her, her ears still lopsided from sleep. “How long was I out?”

“About four hours. It seemed like you needed it.” Yang answers as she rolls out her wrist, stretching her hand and placing it over the gear shift lightly. She offers Blake a warm smile, tilting her head slightly as she watches her. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I was thrown off a cliff.” Blake groans, stretching in her seat for a moment before twisting around to the back of the cabin, grabbing a pack of crackers and cheese and a bottle of water. “Sorry for last night.” She adds, ears tilting back as she picks self-consciousnessly at the seal of her crackers, guilt and insecurity twisting her chest. “You shouldn’t have had to deal with that.”

“Please don’t apologise, Blake. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Yang says with firm gentleness, as she reaches over to squeeze Blake’s hand reassuringly. “That’s what friends do. We support each other, right?”

Blake hates how she flinches at Yang’s touch, the memories of her past leaving on edge. She hates how nervous she still feels. How Adam is still in her head, even a year on. She swallows past the lump in her throat and squeezes Yang's hand once, grateful for her presence.

“So…” Yang says quietly, as Blake forces herself to eat, even though she lacks appetite. “Did you want to talk about it? Your nightmare, I mean? You seemed really scared.”

“... Not here. It’s not exactly a conversation I want to have in a car.” Blake mumbles around a cracker, as she curls up in her seat and watches the scenery go by. “Can it wait until we get to a motel?”

“Of course, Blake. Hell, you don’t even have to tell me at all. Whatever’s gonna make you feel better, okay?” Yang says softly, giving Blake a gentle look, one side of her quirked up in a small smile. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Thank you.”

They fall into a comfortable silence as Blake eats and drinks, anxiety still fluttering around in her chest. But now that they’re in the daylight, Blake can breathe a little easier. Slowly, she feels frustration begin to bubble up in her chest, her ears pinning back as she glowers out of her window. It had been so long since she had experienced a panic attack. Months, in fact. Perhaps she had been foolish to hope that she was okay. To believe that she was getting better. She should have known that Adam would never let go of her so easily, even in death. 

She closes her eyes and inhales deeply, counts to ten and releases slowly. It hurts. But she can’t let it define her. She’s on a road trip with her best friend and favourite person. She couldn’t let it ruin their time together. Looking to distract herself, Blake pulls out her scroll and begins to search for the town they were visiting. She scrolls through useless information tiredly for a while before pausing when she sees something that catches her attention and her interest. 

“You’re taking us to a town that dedicates its tourism to a cryptid?” She asks slowly, turning to Yang with a quirked brow, a small chuckle leaving her when Yang turns to her with a far too innocent grin. “You’re such a goofball.”

“It was on the way, anyway!” Yang defends, pouting slightly as Blake rolls her eyes. “Come on. We’ll rest for today and tonight and then tomorrow we can go check it out. They have a retelling of the story and everything.” Yang’s excitement is contagious as she grins over Blake, though her smile softens as she looks at her. “But only if you feel up to it. We can take a few more days here if you need to rest.”

  
  


“I’ll be fine.” Blake says quietly, giving Yang what she hopes is a convincing smile. “I just… need a night to recover.”

Blake watches Yang nod, seemingly happy to accept her answer. Blake, however, felt her stomach tighten with nerves. She wants to tell Yang about her nightmare, about her past. But there’s part of her that’s afraid of how she’s going to react. Logically, she knows that Yang would be on her side. She knows that Yang would see it in the same way that her family and the jury had. But there’s still a voice in the back of mind that tries to convince her that she’s wrong. 

Blake sighs and presses her forehead to her window, closing her eyes and focusing on pushing  _ those  _ thoughts out. She trusts Yang with her life. So she could trust her with her past.

* * *

“Surprise!”

Later that night, after they it to their Kuro Yuri motel, Yang wanders back into the room, after leaving to get dinner,with two bags full of food. Blake’s nose twitches, her ears flicking forward as a delighted grin spreads across her face and she hungrily watches Yang place the bags on Blake’s bed. “Please tell me that’s what I think it is?” Blake says, staring at the bags on her bed with little care for the woman watching her in amusement.

“Seafood Ramen with all of your favourite toppings and green tea mochi ice cream for dessert.” Yang grins at her, winking playfully. “I know my girl.”

“Oh my God.” Blake groans, looking up at Yang in awe, wondering how in God’s name she got so lucky to have Yang in her life. “You’re amazing. You know that? How the fuck are you single?”

“Uh…” Yang freezes as she sits down in front of Blake, her cheeks flushing as she coughs awkwardly into a closed fist, a nervous laugh falling from her lips. “I mean… there is this one girl…” she mutters, voice thick with embarrassment as she and Blake start to eat.

“Oh?” Blake says, her voice purposely light. She tries to ignore the way her heart aches at the sight of Yang’s expression softening, a goofy smile crossing her features as she thinks of the girl in question. “What’s she like?”

“Too gorgeous for her own good.” Yang sighs softly, looking down at her ramen with a dopey, love struck smile. “She’s brave and feisty and knows how to keep up with my bullshit. She’s, like, the smartest person that I know. I could listen to her talk for hours.”

“She- ah, she sounds wonderful.” Blake says quietly, smiling despite the painful clenching of her chest. She swallows thickly and forces herself to ask; “How come you haven’t told her yet? You’re not usually one to be shy.”

“Weeelll… she’s different.” Yang’s blush grows darker, her hand lifting to rub the back of her neck shyly. “She’s incredible, Blake. I don’t want to mess this up.” Yang pauses before snorting, rolling her eyes. “Besides, it’s not like I haven’t flirted with her. You know me… subtlety isn’t my thing. I don’t understand how she can be so smart but so fucking dense.”

“Maybe she’s not as smart as you think?”

“No. No, she definitely is. Either she can’t see what I’m trying to put down or she’s straight up not interested.” Yang deflates, a sad look entering her eyes as she frowns down at her ramen. “Could be either.”

“Well… either way, she’s missing out.” Blake says softly, trying to ignore how much it hurt to see Yang so clearly enchanted with someone that wasn’t her. “She’d be lucky to have you.”

“Hmm.” Yang hums softly, giving Blake a look that she doesn’t quite know how to interpret, something between amusement and exasperation. “Maybe. Anyway… um. How are you feeling?” Yang pushes on, offering Blake a slightly awkward grin as she clumsily tries to change the subject.

“Better. Still a little shaken but better.” Blake affirms as she raises her ramen up with a small smirk. “This definitely helps, though.”

Yang’s smile softens and the two women continue to eat in companionable silence, as Blake begins to wonder just  _ who  _ this mysterious woman was that had captured the attention of Yang Xiao Long, of all people.

* * *

“Yang?” Blake asks hesitantly as she steps out from the bathroom, wearing her recently won bumblebee T-shirt. She waits until Yang looks up from her scroll, looking comfortable in her tank top and sweats, and steps over to Yang’s bed, across from her own, and hovers. “Can we… talk?”

“Of course. What’s up?”

“It’s about that nightmare I had.” Blake says slowly as she sits by Yang’s hip, keeping her gaze lowered. She fidgets nervously, chest tight until Yang’s hands reach out to take her own, thumbs brushing her knuckles gently. Blake grips Yang’s hands tightly and inhales slowly. “I told you about my ex, right?”

“Adam, right? He was toxic to you.”

“And then some.” Blake says with a bitter smile. “I just need you to let me talk. Can you do that for me? Please?”

“No problem, Blake. But don’t push yourself.”

“You know I met him in high school. That… that he got into my head and isolated me from everyone. What you don’t know is that when I was seventeen, he convinced me to move in with him. I agreed.” Blake says quietly, trying to keep her time clinical in an attempt to distance herself from it while toying with Yang’s fingers, running her fingers along the calluses and scars on Yang’s hands. “I had become distant from my parents so I didn’t even say goodbye. I just left them a note telling them I had left and that they weren’t to contact me. Because obviously they didn’t understand. Obviously Adam knew what was best for me. For us. He was… how do I put this? I thought he was a rebel with a cause. Somebody that needed someone to understand him and support him. To help him. I thought that I could be that someone so… I chose him over literally everyone else in my life. Because that’s what he asked from me.”

Blake pauses to take a breath, her ears pinning back against her head as she swallows thickly, feeling Yang’s steady gaze on her but still too nervous to look at her. “Things seemed good for a bit… but then, he started to show his true colours. By then, he was so far into my head that I- that I thought that I deserved it. That I just wasn’t trying hard enough. Not after everything he did for us.” Her breath hitches and she feels Yang’s hands let go of hers to rub at her arms, offering silent support that gives her the strength to continue. “I still- I still remember the first time he hit me. I still remember all of the awful things he said and did to me and- I lived like that for so long, Yang.” 

“Blake…” Yang breathes softly, her thumbs brushing across Blake’s skin tenderly.

“Um… eventually… I got used to it. It was normal to wear long sleeves and make up. I got good at hiding it. One day, after an argument, he went out drinking. I had a lot of time to think and- and I just couldn’t do it anymore.” Blake’s voice breaks as she clutches at her shirt, tears entering her eyes. “He came back and saw the luggage. He was so mad, Yang. Madder than he had ever been before and so,  _ so  _ drunk.”

“Oh no.” Yang murmurs under her breath, her hands continuing their movements against Blake’s arms.

Blake forces herself to continue, needing to get the words out before she falters. “He attacked me. I thought- I thought he was going to  _ kill _ me, Yang. I didn’t-  _ I didn’t want to die.” _ Her breath breaks off into a small sob and Yang’s arms are suddenly around her waist and pulling her to her chest. “I killed him. He was going to hurt me-  _ kill  _ me- and I was so  _ done  _ and so  _ scared _ and I killed him!”

“Oh my God.” Yang says, her voice thick as she holds Blake close, letting her cry into her neck. “Oh God. Blake-“

“I didn’t want to kill him.” Blake gasps out, trembling against Yang as she clung to her, pained sobs leaving her chest. “I didn’t- I would never-“

“Shhhh. I know. It was self defence.” Yang murmurs, pulling away from Blake and gently cupping her face in her hands, tenderly wiping away her tears as Blake leans into them with a whimper. “I am  _ so  _ sorry you had to go through that.” Yang says with a shaky voice as she leans her forehead against Blake’s. “I’m so sorry, Blake.”

Blake reaches up to cling to Yang’s wrist, pressing her forehead more firmly against Yang’s as her eyes drift shut, desperate to be as close as possible to her. Yang croons softly, tenderly and pulls her close once more, tucking Blake against her as she pulls the blanket over them, gently and quietly comforting her until she falls asleep, leaving Blake oblivious to the whispered promise that her best friend makes.

_ “You’re safe. I promise you that you’re safe, baby. I promise.” _

* * *

“Are you sure-“

“Yang, the worst thing you can do is mollycoddle me.” 

Blake’s tone is firm as they walk through the streets of Kuro Yuri two days later, leading Yang towards their destination the following day.

“I’m not mollycoddling!” Yang defends as she walks by Blake’s side, huffing lightly as she gives Blake a concerned look. “That was… just a lot last night. For anyone! I don’t want you to push yourself.”

“Look, I told you horror was a source of comfort for me and you wanted to attend this thing while we’re here.” Blake turns to give Yang a look, eyes narrowing at her and daring her to argue. “I need you to trust that I know what I’m doing. Please don’t treat me differently.  _ Please  _ don’t treat me like I’m made out of glass.”

Yang freezes, her gaze searching Blake’s own for a moment before she softens and lets out a soft sigh, curling her arm around Blake’s waist and pulling her into a hug. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just… don’t want you to feel like you  _ have  _ to do this just because  _ I  _ want to.”

“Yang. In all the time that we’ve been friends… when have you ever known me to do anything you wanted me to do? Remember last year? When you tried to get me to go swimming so I threw you in the pool instead?” Blake quirks an eyebrow, smiling lightly as she leans into Yang’s side as she chuckles. “I… appreciate the concern. But I can’t let my past control my present. I won’t.” 

“You’re pretty incredible. You know that?” Yang says, her gaze genuine and honest as they head towards the town centre and sit amongst a small crowd gathering, her arms shifting to curl around Blake’s shoulders. “I guess I just… I don’t know. I didn’t know how bad it had been for you and I just got a little protective.”

“We’re both protective. It’s a part of who we are. But we’re both still pretty independent people.” Blake muses softly, giving her friend a small, half smile. “So… how about we just have each other’s backs?”

“Like that time we got into that bar brawl and we kicked ass?”

“Yes. Interestingly enough, that was the same bar that you lit on fire.”

“By accident!” Yang defended, pulling back to playfully poke Blake’s thigh, pulling an amused snort from her. “And you can’t talk. You set your parents’ house on fire when you were twelve.”

“I thought there was a burglar and panicked!”

“Welcome to the show, everyone! I see some new faces so I’m glad to see that our tourism plan is working!”

The crowd chuckled good naturedly, though Blake and Yang share a unimpressed look as a man wearing a T-shirt with a monster of some kind on it walked into the area in front of them and began talking. 

“If this is our narrator, I’m afraid it’s going to be more of a comedy than a thriller.” Blake whispers into Yang’s ear, the heavy emotions of the day previous slowly fading away at last. “I mean honestly… he’s not intimidating in the slightest.”

“Shhh!” Yang manages in between her snickers, her shoulder bumping against Blake’s playfully.

“Now folks… This town here is very interesting. And by interesting… I mean haunted!” The man continues, grinning at the crowd. “By the ghost of a beast called the Nuckelavee. It’s a frightening creature, as you can see on my shirt which is available at the gift shop for the low, low price of twenty-five lien.”

“Subtle advertising.” Blake comments, smiling innocently when the man glares at her. 

“Somebody’s feeling better.” Yang comments in her ear and when Blake glances up at her, her smile is warm and affectionate as she bumps her head against Blake’s softly. “I’m glad.”

“Yes, the Nuckelavee torments our town. It’s truly devastating-“

“So much so that they choose to profit off of their own people’s misery.” Blake smirks this time, quirking a brow when the man narrows his eyes at her. “Yes?Do you need my help? It’ll come at the low, low cost of twenty-five lien.”

“You laugh and joke but you sit in the very square where a group of four teenagers and their chaperone were forced to fight a terrifying monster. They were no older than you, in fact.”

Blake raises her other brow to join the first. She had to admit that the man had the gift of gab, bouncing off of Blake’s dry comments easily enough. She leans back in her seat, her ears pricking forward eagerly. 

She did so enjoy a good horror story.

* * *

“And so, the young man killed the beast, making it pay for the death of his mother, his father and his innocence.” The man said sombrely, lowering his as if to pay respect. “Some nights, you can still hear the screams of the beast as it’s spirit howls in anger at finally having been defeated.”

Blake applauded along with the crowd, rolling her eyes as Yang tried to disentangle herself from Blake’s arm without appearing as though she had been unnerved by the story. It was endearing, really. As the crowd filters out, Blake hears footsteps approaching them, heavy enough to make her stiffen instinctually and glare at the newcomer, her body braced to fight if it came down to it.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you there, kid.” The man chuckles softly, giving Blake a friendly enough grin. “Just wanted to say thanks for your comments earlier. It always makes it a little bit more fun when I have someone to bounce off of.”

“Uh, sure. No problem.” Blake says carefully, glancing at Yang who shrugs. “I have to admit… you had me fooled with that telemarketer act you had going at the start. Very nice way to lure us into a false sense of security.” Blake adds, forcing herself to relax and offering him a polite smile.

“Everyone but you and your girlfriend here.” The man teases gently, causing both women to stiffen as he continues. “Come by the souvenir shop later. I’ll give the lovely couple a discount.” He throws over his shoulder as he leaves, waving as he heads off, whistling to himself as he goes.

“Couple?” Blake echoes, turning to Yang and frowning at the uncomfortable expression on her face.

“Pffft. I know right? Us? An item?” Yang laughs, a forced, stilted sound that almost makes Blake flinch. “That’s- that’s ridiculous. Right?”

“Yeah. Ridiculous.” Blake says with a weak little chuckle, turning away and rubbing her arm as Yang shuffles awkwardly in place. “Uh… we should probably check that shop out if you want another shirt.”

“Oh! Uh, yeah. Yeah, totally!”

Blake follows behind Yang, biting her lip as her ears pin against her head, heart aching. Was it really so uncomfortable for Yang to imagine being in a relationship with her? Or was there another reason for how she had responded? 

Blake shakes her head. It didn’t matter. When she had woken up in Yang’s arms that morning, she had resolved herself to not let this trip with her best friend be ruined. Not by the ghosts of her past. Not by her current feelings towards her. Not by anything, not if she had something to say about it. 

Not when Yang has been so excited to spend time with her.

  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we learn a little bit more about how Weiss attempted to court Blake and out bizzy, buzzy friend have a beach day.

“Weiss. Okay, listen… Weiss, God so help me, if you don’t shut your useless, baby gay mouth, I’m going to hang up and tell Ilia every single embarrassing rant that you’ve ever gone on about her!”

Blake ignores Yang’s wheeze of laughter and sighs heavily into her scroll as Weiss screeches indignantly at her. They had left Kuro Yuri the day before and now, they’re two hours away from their next place of rest at the city of Haven and Blake has been listening to a panicking Weiss for the last fifteen minutes. Calmly, she pulls the scroll away from her ear and gives Yang a look, her cheeks puffing out in playful aggravation that makes Yang giggle quietly. Blake feels a small, fond smile cross her lips as she turns her attention back to Weiss. 

“How on earth am I meant to court her? You remember how much of a disaster it was when I tried to gain your favour!”

“Weiss. That was a disaster because you went overboard and hired a fucking orchestra to ask me out and when I walked into the auditorium, I nearly had a heart attack.” Blake laughs, smirking when Weiss groans miserably. “Your problem is that you’re still thinking like your father. I was never going to be impressed by the money of one of the most questionable companies when it comes to their Faunus workers and neither is Ilia. Let go of your airs, take a deep breath and just be yourself.”

“What if I don’t know who “myself” is?” Weiss says, her voice much smaller than Blake is used to. She sounds so small and alone, so lost and afraid now that she was at college and away from her family’s influence. Blake, if she was being honest, could sympathise with that a great deal.

“Then you find out. Talk to people. Learn new things, gain new experiences and let yourself open up. I know it’s hard but… eventually, you might just find the right people for you. The friends that will love you just the way you are. I mean… you’ve already got Ruby, Yang and me.” Blake says warmly, rolling her eyes fondly when Yang shouts out an affirming “Love you Weissy!” that makes Blake laugh and Weiss stumble over her words. “We love you and we’ll continue to support you as you figure yourself out, for as long as it takes. Hell, most of us are still figuring our own selves out so you’re definitely not alone.” 

“Thank you, Blake.” Weiss finally says, her voice a little bit stronger. “But can I ask you for a favour?”

“What’s up?”

“Tell Yang how you feel so none of us have to suffer anymore?”

“Okay. Yeah, I’m hanging up now.” Blake mutters, cheeks burning as Weiss snickers down the line before she hangs up. “That girl is going to be the death of me.”

“She’s a tiny pain in the ass but she’s our tiny pain in the ass.”

“She is.“ Blake chuckles, shaking her head with fond exasperation. “She’s having trouble “courting Ilia.” I think growing up the way she did had a  _ slight  _ impact on her flirting capabilities.”

“You mean you weren’t swept off your feet with that whole…  _ orchestrated _ disaster she set up for you?”

“I’ll give you a disaster if you make another pun before we get to the city.” Blake threatens with a halfhearted scowl. She huffs when Yang turns to grin at her, her smile bright and happy as they drive along the coast line.

“Hey, so… Haven apparently has this gorgeous beach. We should totally go there for lunch and just spend the afternoon there.” Yang says nonchalantly, quirking an eyebrow at Blake curiously before returning her attention to the road. “It’s been a while since we had a beach day.”

“That’s because the last time we went to the beach, you decided to challenge me to a game of beach volleyball and it resulted in you nearly taking out a little old lady with ball.” Blake smirks as Yang’s cheeks tint a bright red, her lips tilting into an indignant pout as she whines. “Didn’t she whack you with her cane?”

“Yes. Yes, she did. Multiple times.” Yang sighs, turning to glare at Blake as she points at her. “But for the record… the only reason it got so intense is because you’re so fucking competitive.”

“ _ I’m  _ competitive?!” Blake gasps, her hand flying to her chest in mock outrage as she sits up, eyes wide as she stares at her friend in disbelief. “You’re  _ such  _ a hypocrite! You’re the one that kept on taunting me!”

“Blake. You came up with an actual battle plan with Weiss, Ruby and Ren to take me down.”

“Only because you dragged Nora  _ and  _ Pyrrha fucking Nikos’ onto your team and gave yourself an unfair advantage of  _ three  _ heavy hitters! We had to compensate for your atrocious sportsmanship!”

The two women stare at each other for a moment before Yang winks at her, her lips tilting upwards into a smirk that soon has them both laughing, remembering the chaos of that match all too well. As their laughter dies down, Blake reaches up to her head to pull her sunglasses down onto her nose and reclines against her seat, appearing to the outside eye as though she were settling down to rest her eyes for a while. But, much to the contrary, she silently watches Yang, taking in the way the late morning makes her hair appear almost golden, framing her in a halo of light. Her smile is warm and relaxed as she silently sings along to their playlist, a happy glint in her eyes that makes Blake’s heart ache in the most beautiful way. Yang was, in every single way, gorgeous. In Blake’s mind, she might be the most beautiful person she had ever known. Kind and gentle, protective and loyal. Strong, too, in so many different ways. The woman that had caught Yang’s eye was a lucky woman indeed.

Blake sighs as she drags her eyes away from Yang, closing them tightly and trying to ignore the way her breathing hitches. What they had was enough. 

It had to be.

* * *

“Finally! Why am I always the pack mule in this relationship?”

Blake damn near stumbles to the ground with the cooler, catching herself at the last moment and turning to glare at Yang as they lay out their beach gear, her heart racing unfairly fast already. “Excuse you?”

“You’re excused.”

“Dork.” Blake scoffs as she rolls her eyes and sits down for a moment, busting herself with placing everything within reach of them both.

At least… right up until Yang crosses her arms in front of her body to lift her tank top over her head and yank it off in one smooth motion, revealing the black and yellow bikini top that she wore underneath. Blake’s mind goes blank as Yang toes off her flip-flops and steps out of her ripped denim shorts, revealing even more of her long, tanned legs and bikini bottoms that matched her bikini top. Blake feels heat rush to her face as Yang stretches, groaning slightly as her back cracks, allowing Blake to see her toned body as her muscles tense.

“Blake?”

“Huh-wha?” Blake blinks dumbly, shaking her head lightly as she looks up at Yang to see her raising an eyebrow at her. “Y-yes, Yang?” She clears her throat, hating the way her voice cracks around Yang’s name. “What’s up?”

“You okay? You seem a little out of it.” Yang says a little too casually as she walks over to kneel beside Blake, reaching out the back of her hand to feel her forehead gently. “And you’re bright red. You’re not overheating already, are you?”

“Fine! I’m fine!” Blake squeaks, standing up from the ground and putting some much needed distance between her and Yang. “I’m great, even!”

“Uh-huh. Suuuure.” Yang drawls, rolling her eyes as a playful grin crosses her lips. “Now hurry up so I can throw you in the damn water already, Belladonna.”

“You make it sound so inviting.” Blake mutters, though she’s glad for the excuse to look away from Yang as she reaches down to the hem of her own shirt and lifts it over her head to reveal her own black and gold bikini. She huffs irritably as her hair gets caught in her shirt, running a hand through it and shaking it out as she drops her shirt into her towel. Quickly, she steps out of her own shoes and shorts, placing them alongside her shirt before turning to Yang and pausing, tilting her head in slight confusion.

Yang’s face is red, her jaw tense as her lilac gaze travels across Blake’s body, taking her in slowly. Was- Yang couldn’t be checking her out, could she? Her?  _ Blake?! _ Blake swallows hard at the thought. She clears her throat and suddenly, the spell is broken and Yang shakes her head, a small strained laugh leaving her throat as she rubs the back of her neck.

“So… about that water fight?”

Blake’s brow furrows and she stares at Yang. Yang stares back. Blake takes a step back, her eyes narrowing as a slow grin begins to spread across her best friend’s face. “Yang, no.”

“Yang, yes!”

Blake lets out a small shriek as Yang charges towards her, turning on her heels and running from her as Yang let’s a fuller, more genuine laugh this time. Blake’s own laughter soon joins her as she tries to escape Yang’s grasp. She can feel people staring at them. She can hear the displeased murmuring of the older crowd. But as Yang’s arms finally wrap around her waist, she finds it very hard to care. She yelps as her back hits Yang’s chest, flushing as she pins her tightly to her for a moment, leaning forward so that her lips are right next to Blake’s ear.

“Gotcha.”

Blake blinks, her ears pinning in surprise, as Yang’s hands grip her hips and spin her around before hefting her up and onto her shoulder, pulling a loud squeal from Blake’s lips as she casually strolls to water, acting as though she  _ doesn’t  _ currently have a wiggling and yelling Belladonna thrown over her shoulder.

“Yang Xiao Long! Don’t you dare!” Blake yells, desperately trying to ignore the feeling of Yang’s arm hooked around her knees, her other hand on Blake’s hip to balance her. 

“Oh, I dare alright.”

Blake shrieks once more as Yang runs into the water, making it out to her waist before dumping Blake into the ocean unceremoniously. Blake surfaces, her hair flopping over into her face as she glares up at Yang through it indignantly. “You’re actually the worst.”

“Nah, you love me.” Yang chuckles, watching as Blake throws her hair back and huffs. “C’mon. You’re not actually mad at me, are you?”

“No. Unfortunately, you’re too much of a cinnamon roll to be truly mad at you.”

“How dare you!” Yang growls playfully, splashing Blake and pouting in a way that truly did not help her case. “I’m a stone cold bitch! Just look at me!”

“Every single word in that sentence is a lie. Face it, Yang. You’re adorable.” Blake teases, relaxing as Yang lets out an annoyed huff. She smirks and splashes Yang back, laughing softly at her outraged expression. “Don’t dish out what you can’t take, Yang.”

“Don’t- alright. That’s it. You’re going down!”

Blake giggles as Yang splashes her again and soon, the two young women are running amongst the waves, laughing and throwing water at each other. Eventually, Yang catches Blake by her waist again and pulls her close, pinning her against her body, face to face. Blake lets out a surprised laugh, her hands naturally moving to rest against Yang’s collar. But as she looks up at Yang, her breath catches in her throat. Yang’s grin is wide and happy, her eyes shining with delight. Water drips from hair, carving a path down her face and neck down to her chest. 

“Hi.” Blake says quietly, almost afraid to speak louder for fear of breaking whatever it was that had fallen over them.

“Hi.” Yang answers, her hands curling around Blake’s waist, her thumbs brushing her sides gently as the water ebbs and flows around them. “I think you’re off your game. You’re never this easy to catch when our crew plays tag.”

“The sun was in my eyes.” Blake ears press back, her heart racing as Yang laughs softly, her hands pulling Blake closer to her. The sunlight was definitely in Blake’s eyes… but it had nothing to do with the great ball of fire in the sky and  _ everything  _ to do with the woman in front of her.

“Yeah? The sun, huh? That’s what you had your eyes on?” Yang murmurs softly, resting her forehead against Blake’s gently, her grin softening into a teasing smile. “Nothing else?”

“Not at all.” Blake responds, her chest tight. Yang was just being affectionate, just as she always was. Blake can’t let herself hope for more so she bites back the urge to stroke Yang’s neck, to make her way up to her jaw. She keeps her eyes on Yang’s, knowing that if she looks down at her lips, it’ll just end in disaster. “What else would I be looking at?”

“Whatever you say, Princess.” Yang chuckles, an expression crossing her eyes that Blake can’t quite identify. “I’m still pretty sure you’re distracted by something else.”

“Like what?” Blake’s voice lilts, panic growing in her chest. Her ears pin flat against her head, her body growing tense. “What else is there to be distracted by at the  _ beach,  _ Yang?” Her voice wavers, anxiety colouring her voice and making her pull away from Yang slightly.

“Blake...” Yang says, her brow furrowing in concern for a moment as she observes Blake, her teeth gripping at her bottom lip as she stares thoughtfully at her before sighing softly, an expression crossing her eyes that Blake can’t quite decipher. Yang smiles, a small and patient thing, as she shakes her head. “Okay. When you’re ready to talk about it, you let me know.” She whispers softly, leaning up to kiss Blake’s forehead sweetly. “C’mon. We should grab something to eat.”

Blake remains frozen in place as Yang squeezes her waist once before pulling away and making her way back to their setup, leaving behind a very flustered and very confused Blake. She could still feel the warmth of Yang’s hands on her hips, feel the way their bodies presses close together. Her hand comes up to subconsciously brush against her forehead, her throat tight as she lets out a small, involuntary whine. 

“What the fuck just happened?” She groans to herself, before falling backwards into the water, letting it swallow her for a long moment, long enough for her to let out a yell, before returning to the surface and slowly making her way to shore, mind racing a million miles a minute.

What exactly did Yang mean by “When you’re ready to talk about it, you let me know?” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m which our girls are supportive and reality hits Blake like a truck.

“Hey, you oka-“

“I’m about to go on a woman rampage against the gods of fertility.”

Blake’s irritable voice is muffled by her pillow that she has her face pressed into, her cat ears slicked back in pain. A low and miserable whine leaves her as a fresh wave of pain courses through her stomach and back, making her curl in on herself weakly. Evidently, Mother Nature had decided that her emotions weren’t already haywire enough and as such… chose to make Blake’s life even more difficult.

“Oof.” Yang mutters, her voice soft and gentle as she sits beside Blake and gently rubs her back, her hands a soothing warmth against her aching back. Blake shivers, uncurling enough to press back into Yang’s touch, biting her cheek to stop a low groan from slipping from her lips. “It’s pretty bad this month, huh?”

“You have no idea.” Blake mumbles, turning her head to gaze miserably up at her best friend, her eyes shining with pained tears. “I’m dying, Yang.”

“You’re not dying.” Yang says with a small, fond chuckle, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind Blake’s ear before cupping her jaw and gently brushing her thumb along her cheek. “You’re going to be fine.” Her hand moves back to Blake’s back, fingers pressing against tense muscle as Blake slowly melts back against her pillow.

“You have no idea how lucky you are. You barely bleed for more than three days and have barely any cramping.” Blake grumbles, pouting despite herself. 

“I know, buddy.” Yang soothes, a smile in her voice that makes Blake glare balefully up at her from the corner of her eye. “And you suffer through intense pain for a week. It’s not fair.”

“Don’t tease me.” Blake whines, wiggling further into her blanket, her bottom lip jutting out. “I’m weak.”

“You’re not weak. You’re going to be just fine.” Yang reassures gently, smiling warmly down at her. “I know it sucks but it’s always the worst for the first couple days and then, you’ll be feeling a little bit better.”

“I hate this.”

“I know, sweetheart. I know.” Yang pulls her hand away and stands, leaving Blake to bite her lip as a displeased whine threatens to escape her throat. “I’m just going to go pick up a couple of things for the road. You rest up, okay? I’ll be back soon.”

“Yeah, sure.” Blake sighs, gritting her teeth as another wave of pain struck her. “Don’t get into too much trouble without me.”

“No promises.” Yang laughs softly, before leaning down to brush lip lips against the top of Blake’s head, a soft hum leaving her throat as Blake freezes. “I’ll be back soon.”

Blake’s heart races and her face burns as Yang quickly makes her way out of their motel room. A small whimper escapes Blake as a wave of guilt crushes over her. Yang had been looking forward to exploring the city and Blake couldn’t help but feel like she was making things difficult. She curls into a tight ball, trying to ignore how much she wanted Yang to come back and hold her as words that weren’t her own ran through her mind.

_ ‘Selfish. Clingy. Needy. Too much work.’ _

* * *

“Mm. Yang?” 

“Hey there, sleeping beauty.” Yang’s voice is as warm as her smile when Blake opens her eyes and stares up at her, her brows furrowed in confusion and pain. “I got something for ya.”

“What?” Blake mumbles softly, sitting up with a wince. She stares at the bag in Yang’s hand, slowly taking it as a flush creeps over her cheeks. “Why?”

“Because my favourite person is suffering and I really wanna make her smile?” Yang offers, a flush of her own crossing her cheeks as she sits in front of Blake, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. 

Blake bites her bottom lip, diverting her attention and examining its contents. She pauses, a wave of sentiment washing over her as she pokes through the various licorice products, including her favourite chocolate covered licorice bullets. She pulls out a package of painkillers and glances up at Yang with a small, touched smile gracing her lips. 

“Um… those  _ are  _ the ones you use, right? Like,” Yang asks, her eyes shining with concern as she fidgets in place, her hands rubbing her legs nervously. “I know some painkillers make you feel sick or get a rash and I don’t want to make you feel even  _ more _ miserable than you already are and-“

“Yang. It’s okay. You got it right.” Blake says, her chest tight as tears well up in her eyes. She shakes her head, frustrated by how  _ emotional  _ she was being over nothing. “How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing?” Yang says as she gives an odd look, as though Blake was being the absurd one. She gently curls a hand over Blake’s knee, gently rubbing soothing circles into it as she talks. “My best friend feels like shit so I’m taking care of her and spoiling her a little. No big deal. You’d do the same for me.” 

Blake stared at Yang for a long moment, guilt twisting her heart once more. Yang was the kindest, most thoughtful person she knew. She had been so looking forward to this trip and now… Blake can’t help but feel that she’s ruining it. “I’m sorry.” She sniffs, looking down at her lap shamefully.

“What? No. No, don’t be sorry. What are you sorry for?”

“Ruining-“

“Nope. Nuh-Uh. You’re not finishing that sentence.” Yang says with gentle firmness, her hands moving to hold Blake’s gently. “You’re not ruining anything. Okay? You’re just not feeling well. It’s okay, Blake.”

“But you wanted to-“

“Explore the city? Yep. But what point is there to that if one of us is going to be miserable?” Yang shrugs, giving Blake a small, lopsided smile as she leans forward to press their foreheads together, her thumbs brushing against Blake’s knuckles tenderly. “Any time spent with you is time well spent, even if it’s in a motel room while you eat gross licorice candy and we watch stupid rom-coms. We’ve got the whole summer to spend exploring cities and towns. We can give this one a miss.”

Blake feels the words both sooth and break her heart. Does Yang know how much her words mean to Blake? That every sentence she utters makes Blake fall harder and faster for her? Does she know how hard it was for Blake to  _ not  _ kiss her right now?.

“C’mon. Why don’t we watch some dumb movies? That always cheers you up.” Yang suggests, her expression tender as she wipes stray tears from Blake’s cheeks, barely flinching as Blake leans into her gentle touch.

It doesn’t take long for them to situate themselves, with the laptop in front of them as Blake rests her head in Yang’s lap, curling up and nibbling delicately at her latest stash of treats, as Yang plays with her hair. Subconsciously, she nuzzles her cheek against Yang’s leg, comforted by the gentle fingers running through her hair and down her back, unable to stop the content hum that leaves her lips.

“What?” She mumbles sleepily, turning to blink slowly up at Yang when she chuckles, narrowing her eyes at the small, almost knowing smile on her lips. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” Yang says softly, tone warm and affectionate, before poking Blake’s nose playfully. “Boop!”

“No. Stop that.” Blake pouts, wiggling further into Yang’s lap in an attempt to get away from further boopage. “You’re such a dork.”

Yang chuckles softly, resting her hand on Blake’s waist and gently rubbing soothing circles into it, allowing Blake to press as close to her as she wants. Blake relaxes under Yang’s hand, curling up into a ball and letting her eyes drift shut.

Maybe she could be selfish… just this once.

* * *

“Raven. I told you not to call me.”

Blake jerks awake at the low, angry rumble in Yang’s voice, sitting up and staring at Yang where she sat on her own bed, body tense and rigid. Her jaw is set, her lilac eyes narrowed. She was furious and Blake immediately sits up to watch her in concern, ignoring the twinge in her stomach as she swings her feet out of bed.

“No. You  _ don't  _ get to guilt trip me. You fucked off to God knows where and left us behind for seventeen god _ damn _ years.” Yang growls, her fingers curling into her sweatpants tightly. “You don’t get to come back into my life and expect that I drop everything for you.”

There's a long pause and Blake watches as Yang’s lips curl into a silent snarl, fury lighting up her eyes and almost making them burn red.

“Watch it. That’s my  _ best friend  _ that you’re talking about, Raven.” Yang warns, eyes trained on some point in the floor. “No, shut up. You gave up all rights to my time when you decided that I wasn’t worth staying around for. You made your bed so you can just fucking lay in it.”

Another pause.

“Last time I checked… it was Summer that raised me, not you.” Yang’s voice wavers, her eyes closing tightly as her shoulders begin to shake. “Yeah. Me too.”

Yang throws her scroll to the side and buries her face in her hands, teeth gritted as she tries to compose herself. Her body is trembling and Blake feels her heart break as a small squeaking sob leaves her lips. Blake stands and crosses the room, gently pulling Yang’s hands from her face and cupping the back of her head to pull her against her in a tight hug. Yang freezes against her for a moment before she buries her face into Blake’s chest with a small sob, her arms curling around Blake’s waist tightly.

“Shhh.” Blake shushes her friend gently, rubbing a hand through her hair carefully, “I’m here, Yang. I’ve got you.”

“Every time. Every. Fucking. Time.” Yang’s voice is rough and uneven, her hands curling into the back of Blake’s shirt. She pulls back to look up at her, frustration and pain clear in her eyes. “Every time I have to talk to her… I just…”

“Shhh. I know, sunshine. I know.” Before she can filter her own actions, Blake cups Yang’s jaw and thumbs away her tears as she presses a gentle kiss to her forehead. She almost freezes but when Yang tugs her close again, actively seeking out comfort, she can’t help but curl her arms around Yang tightly. “Is there anything I can do?”

“... can I ask for cuddles?” 

“Um… ye-Yeah. Of course.” Blake stutters, mildly taken back by Yang’s request. She was usually so stubborn about accepting comfort that Blake was surprised. But if Yang needed this from her, she didn’t have the heart to refuse her.

They sit against the headboard, with Yang curling herself up into Blake’s side and burrowing her face into her neck as Blake holds her close. She ignores the cramping pain in her stomach, more worried about supporting Yang in her time of need. She feels Yang playing with her hair, twirling it in between her fingers absentmindedly. 

Yang had been nothing but sweet and supportive during Blake’s own times of crisis. Blake was more than happy to return the favour.

* * *

“That’s… a little disconcerting, right? Like… he’s kind of taking advantage of a woman with a serious brain condition right now.”

“... it does feel a little uncomfortable, doesn’t it?” Blake murmurs softly as they watch. “I mean… she literally doesn’t remember him. She doesn’t know who he is. As far as she knows, this is their first date. At this point, he knows way more about her than she does about him. It feels like an unfair power dynamic.” She adds, narrowing her eyes slightly, pursing her lips thoughtfully as Yang hums in agreement. 

“Yeah. I feel bad for her. No wonder she gets so upset.” Yang sighs, turning to butt her head against Blake’s temple. “I bet we could come up with a better rom-com.”

Blake’s pulse jolts, her heart speeding up as Yang huffs a soft laugh into her ear, her arm squeezing Blake affectionately for a moment before returning her attention back to the movie. It was a day or so after Raven’s impromptu phone call and the two young women were relaxing with a movie before they had to check out of their room. This was nothing unexpected. What was surprising was just how much more affectionate Yang was being. Granted, Blake had always known that Yang’s love language was touch but something had shifted. Her touch lingered more frequently, she stopped by Blake’s bed to hug her lightly before bed and her lips had started to find their way to Blake’s temple more often when they sat by each other’s side.

There was a tiny part of Blake that hoped that it meant something but she was quick to ignore it. She couldn’t build false hope based on the fact that Yang was feeling more touchy lately. It could very well mean nothing. She might just be in need of extra reassurance since talking with Raven or trying to offer comfort to Blake as she saw fit. If Blake let herself believe that Yang  _ might  _ see her in a light other than friendship and it turned out to be false, Blake didn’t know if she would recover from that, especially if it ruined what they already shared together. 

Besides… Yang already had someone else on her mind and Blake knew that Yang deserved better than anything she could give. 

“You okay?”

“Huh?” Blake hums, turning to meet Yang’s concerned gaze, her lilac eyes examining Blake’s face carefully. “I’m fine. Why?”

“It’s just…” Yang pauses, hesitating for a moment as she thinks about her words, lips twisting into a small frown. “You get this look in your eyes sometimes. I- it’s like you get stuck in your own head. Like it’s hurting you and… I just wanted to make sure that you’re okay.”

“What? No! No, I’m fine. I promise!” Blake forces a grin, forces her ears to perk up. “Just… cramps, y’know? They kept me up last night so… I’m just tired.”

“Right…” Yang says slowly, her eyes narrowing for a moment before she sighs softly. “Okay. If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“I just hope you know that you can talk to me. About anything. I’m not going to, like, judge you or anything.” Yang says lightly, giving Blake that same small and knowing smile, though her eyes remained soft and worried. “I don’t think that there’s a single thing you can say to me that’ll make me turn away.”

“Duly noted.” Blake murmurs, cheeks burning as she swings her legs off of the bed and stands. “Uh, I’m just going to use the restroom. Excuse me.”

Blake quickly makes her way to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door before walking over to the sink and splashing cold water on her face. She leans heavily on the sink with a low groan, her cat ears pinning against her head, before looking up at her reflection. 

“This is going to kill me.” She whispers to herself, chest tight and painful as a thought slowly came to mind. Yang’s words, her knowing smile, the way she had behaved at the beach... Blake’s amber eyes widen in horror and a small noise of dismay leaves her throat. “Oh no. Oh,  _ fuck!”  _

Blake turns and sinks down slowly to the floor, her hand covering her mouth as she muffles a small terrified whine. Her pulse quickens, her teeth biting down into her bottom lip until it hurts and anxiety grips at her chest painfully, squeezing all of the air out from her lungs and leaving her breathless.

Yang knew. 

Yang fucking knew and it was only a matter of time before Blake would have to face the music.

  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A much needed conversation is had.

“Blake? Is everything okay?”

Blake freezes as she stares out of her window, body tense as she tries to ignore Yang. It’s a futile task. She could never truly ignore Yang. After a year of living together, she knew all of Yang’s quirks. Her movements and tone of voice. She was so naturally in tune with Yang that the slightest movement she made drew Blake’s attention, her ears swivelling towards her far too eagerly. Blake swallows hard, her chest clenching painfully as they drive into the town of Argus, past the military base, and towards their motel. 

“I’m fine. Just tired.” Blake says softly, unable to bring herself to look at Yang. She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready to confront her feelings. She wasn’t ready to put a voice and a name to them. She isn’t ready to say those three little words. She can’t give them that power. She can’t give  _ Yang  _ that power, no matter how much she trusts her. Not at the risk of losing her.

“Are you sure?” Yang’s voice is quiet, worried. Blake feels the weight of her gaze on the back of her head and it sends a shiver down her spine. “You know I’m here for you, right?”

“I know.” Blake murmurs, as the motel comes into sight. “I’m fine.”

Her sensitive hearing picks up on the sigh that leaves Yang, heavy and worried. Fear courses through Blake, heart twisting with every breath she takes. Maybe it’s not rational. Maybe it’s not logical. But Blake finds herself scared. Scared of her own feelings. Scared of how Yang would respond. Scared of giving somebody the power to hurt her again. Scared of ripping open the stitches that had brought the shattered pieces of her heart and soul together and letting Yang see the broken woman underneath.

She can still feel Yang’s gaze in her as they make their way up to their room, luggage in hand. It’s heavy and worried and far more than Blake can bear. Her mind is racing and she feels overwhelmed, hands shaking as Yang watches her.

“I, um. I’m just… I’m going to go for a walk.”

“Want me to come with?”

“No. I just- I need some air. I’ll be back soon.”

Blake leaves the room quickly, leaving the motel and Yang’s worry behind as she wanders the streets of Argus, tears stinging her eyes as she clutches at her arms in a painfully tight grip.

_ ‘Is running away all that you’re good at?’  _ Blake thinks to herself bitterly, pausing to lean against a wall, digging the balls of her palms into her eyes as a shaky breath leaves her.  _ ‘God, Adam was right. I’m  _ **_such_ ** _ a coward.’ _

She bites her cheek and runs her hands through her hair, watching as snow begins to fall around her. She holds out a hand, watches the way the snowflakes hit her skin and melt away, their beauty ruined by her touch.

But that’s what she does… isn’t it? That’s who she is. Destroying the good and beautiful things in her life.

* * *

It’s late by the time she comes back to their room. The light is still on and she blinks in surprise at the sight of Yang sitting on the singular bed in the centre of the room, her knee bobbing anxiously and her head lowered until she hears the door open and looks up at the sound of Blake’s footsteps.

“Blake.” Yang breathes, and Blake feels guilt twist her chest at the distress in her best friend’s eyes. Yang stands and steps forward, her throat bobbing as she swallows hard and hands hovering as though she doesn’t know what to do with them. “I was getting worried. I tried calling your scroll but you left it here and I didn’t know where you were and- I’m sorry. I just- I know you can take care of yourself but I was still worried and-“ Yang cuts herself off, closing her eyes tightly and exhaling slowly before opening them and stepping towards Blake again, frowning as Blake steps back, her cat ears pinning against her head. “Blake? Talk to me.  _ Please  _ tell me what’s going on. Did I do something wrong?”

“Of course you didn’t.” Blake’s voice is rough and uneven, shaky as she stares down at her feet shamefully. “It’s not your fault.”

“Then what’s going on, hun? Talk to me.”

Blake flinches as Yang’s fingers graze her arm, recoiling from her. She can practically feel the hurt radiating off of Yang, feel the worry in her gaze as Yang steps back, confused. Blake curls in on herself, bracing herself for the fallout. “You know, don’t you?”

“Know wha- oh.  _ Oh!” _ Yang’s voice shifts from confusion to surprise and Blake bites her lip, the nails of her right hand digging into her left bicep. “You mean- uh- Yeah. I mean… yeah. I know.”

“I’m sorry.” Blake whispers out into the awkward silence, closing her eyes tightly. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice breaks and she shakes her head, covering her mouth as tears fill her eyes. “I tried not to- I tried to fight it but I  _ can’t  _ and I’m so sorry.”

Yang lets out an alarmed noise in her throat, crossing the room quickly and pulling Blake into her arms. Blake freezes, an old, instinctual fear filling her as Yang’s fingers curl around her arms. But her touch remains gentle, her hands pulling Blake close with great care. Her hand curls softly around the back of Blake’s head and tucks her into the crook of her neck, her other arm curling tightly around Blake and pressing her close. Blake gasps, eyes snapping open as she stares at Yang’s neck, chest burning as she tries to fight back the tears.

“Shhh.” Yang shushes, her voice thick with emotion as she presses Blake to her. “You have  _ nothing  _ to be sorry for.”

“Yes, I do!” Blake’s voice is shaky as her hands come up to helplessly cling to Yang’s shirt, tears falling down her cheeks. “I should-“

“No. No, don’t you  _ dare  _ apologise for having feelings for me, Blake.” Yang’s voice is gentle and firm as her hand rubs soothing motions into Blake’s back. 

“Can we please just forget about it?” Blake says quietly, her breath hitching painfully as she burrows her face in Yang’s strong shoulder, inhaling deeply. “I don’t- I’ll get over it. I know it’s not mutual and I don’t want to lose you and-“

“What do you mean not mutual?”

Blake stared miserably up at Yang when she pushes her away gently, her hands curling around Blake’s shoulders as she gives her an odd look. Blake sniffs. “I mean… I know it’s not me you want and I’d rather try to move on than not have you in my life at all.”

“You beautiful dumbass.” Yang huffs a watery laugh, her hands moving to cup Blake’s jaw as she presses their foreheads together. “How can you be the smartest person that I know but also be so fucking dense at the same time?”

“What- What do you mean?” Blake stares up at her, confused and overwhelmed as she pulls away.

“I love you. As in I  _ romantically _ love you.” Yang smiles as she strokes Blake’s cheeks, her fingers brushing over her skin tenderly. “It’s you, Blake. It’s lways  _ been  _ you.”

“Me? But- no. It can’t- I’m not-“ Blake struggles, unable to believe what she was hearing. She steps away from Yang, heart racing and body trembling. “I’m nothing like you said. That’s not me. I’m not- I’m broken and flawed and scarred. I’m a coward and- and-“

“Of course you’re flawed. We all are. We’ve all been broken in some way or another. That doesn’t make you less worthy, Blake.” Yang steps forward, slow and carefully as she takes Blake’s hands and holds them gently, her expression tender and warm. “The fact that you’re still here, still standing and fighting, says a lot about you. Especially after what you’ve been through. You’re brave and feisty and strong… and yes, infuriating and stubborn at times.” Yang’s voice becomes a gentle tease, her thumbs tracing Blake’s knuckles as she tugs her closer gently. “I love you. Scars, flaws and all.”

Blake lets out a small sob and Yang pulls her back into her arms, swaying side to side gently as she lets Blake ride out the overwhelming wave of emotions she’s experiencing. Blake shakes and trembles, struggling to compose herself, but eventually, she pulls back, her voice small and unsure as she talks. “Yang… I-“ but she can’t say it. The words become trapped in her throat. But Yang simply smiles at her and presses their foreheads together gently as Blake sighs in frustration.

“I know. You don’t have to say it. I get it. You’re overwhelmed and that’s okay.” Yang pauses to tuck Blake’s hair behind her ear, watching as she leans into the touch with a shaky sigh. “I’m not going make you do anything that you don’t want to do. If you want to just stay friends, then I’ll respect that. Okay? Just give me the word. Tell me what it is you want and I’ll respect that.”

“This. I want this.” Blake mumbles, reaching up to hold Yang’s wrist, keeping her hand in place. “I want you.”

“Yeah?” Yang murmurs back, nudging Blake’s nose sweetly with her own as her voice trembles. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah. Just… can we… maybe-“ Blake pauses, unsure until Yang speaks up.

“Take it slow?” Yang suggests, smiling when Blake nods. She leans up and kisses Blake’s forehead, smiling against her skin. “Of course. I’m in no rush.”

Blake sniffs before reaching up hesitantly and kissing Yang’s cheek. She gasps in surprise when Yang curls her arms around her waist and spins her around in the air, pulling a surprised laugh from her,

“There it is. There’s that gorgeous laugh.” Yang sighs softly, her hands still resting on Blake’s waist gently. “God, I love you.”

Blake blinks, a slow flush creeping over her cheeks before she buries herself into Yang’s neck, a weak and watery smile crossing her lips. There was no expectation that she says it back. No pressure. No performance that she had to put on for Yang. No, this was simply Yang expressing herself without any demand for it to be returned. She inhales deeply and gathers what courage she has and reaches for Yang’s hand and squeezes it three times. She feels Yang smile against her temple before returning the gesture twice. Wordlessly, the two very tired women clambered into bed and, in a manner that was uncharacteristically shy for them both, curled their arms around each other.

Blake might not be ready to give those three little words power… but she knew what she felt.  _ Yang  _ knew what she felt. And now… Blake knew the depths of Yang’s own feeling for her. 

They could take their time, after all. And until Blake felt ready… she could show it in other little ways.

* * *

“Huh-wha?”

Blake giggles as Yang slowly wakes up and stares at the tea tray that Blake had sat down on the bedside table, laden with all of Yang’s favourite breakfast foods. She watches as Yang’s eyes widen and yelps in surprise as Yang tugs her into a tight hug. “Yang!”

“No. Stop being so cute. It’s illegal.” Yang mutters into her hair, nuzzling against her. “You didn’t have to do that, Blake.”

“I wanted to.” Blake says, as she sits up and awkwardly tucks her hair behind her ear. “Besides… it’s not like I cooked it or anything.”

“Good thing too. You nearly burned down the dorms the last time you tried to cook.”

“That was during exams!” Blake growled, cuffing Yang’s shoulder and pouting, her ears slicking back irritably. “Don’t be an ass.”

“I’m pretty sure that you’re the one that brings most of the ass here, Blake.”

“Um.” Blake blinks, cheeks burning at the blatant flirt, a small laugh slipping from her throat as she looks away. “Okay. Wow. Not wasting any time, are you?”

“Oh, so  _ now  _ you pick up on my flirts.” Yang teases gently as she sits up and quirks a brow at Blake. “Good to know.”

“Uh… okay. Um… how long have you been trying to-“

“The last year.” Yang said quietly, rubbing her neck as her ears tint pink, a small and shy smile crossing her lips. 

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

There was an awkward silence before Blake coughs, rubbing the back of her neck before taking a large metaphorical step forward, heart racing. “Does this mean that you’re going to take me out on a date at some point or…?”

“Of course! Uh… if you want me to, that is?” Yang’s awkward excitement, Blake finds, is endearing. “I don’t want you to force yourself or-“

“Yang… I do want to go on a date with you.” Blake says softly, biting her lip as she reaches out to her and takes Yang’s hand gently in her own, fiddling nervously with her fingers. “I just… this is just very… overwhelming. I never thought that you would-“ she cuts herself off, shaking her head as her throat grows right.

“In that case… I heard that there’s this little garden cafe here. Would you maybe wanna go?” Yang asks, her cheeks becoming a dark red that helps Blake feel better about her own nerves. 

“That sounds… really nice.” Blake says softly, still not quite believing that she’s not dreaming. She pauses, thinking for a moment before leaning over to kiss Yang’s nose, giggling as a very un-Yang-like squeak escapes Yang’s lips. “We should probably eat. The food will get cold.”

“Yeah.” Yang’s smile is dopey and love struck, the same one she wore when talking about her “mystery girl.”

Blake rolls her eyes fondly and brings the tea tray over, settling it across their legs and hesitantly leaning into Yang’s side. She feels the tension leave her body as Yang curls an arm around her and presses an almost shy kiss to her temple. 

It was almost surprising how natural it felt, to slowly shift from friendship to something more with Yang and Blake found herself wanting to see where this road would lead them, despite the fear that existed in the back of her mind.

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so... the girls have their first date and Blake gets a chance to impress Yang.

“... you’re wearing the cryptid shirt I picked out for you.”

Blake glances down at her shirt and huffs, cheeks flushing as Yang grins, delighted. “Well… you said that you wanted it to be  _ our-“ _

Blake freezes in the midst of tying a yellow flannel shirt around her waist, remembering what Yang had said that day. A slow blush steadily grows across her cheeks as she ties the sleeves and groans, dropping her head into her hands and sighing heavily. “You were hitting on me that day… weren’t you?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry.” Blake sighs, dropping her hands and staring at Yang as she approaches, her ears pinning back on embarrassment. 

“Don’t be. Your obliviousness was kind of cute… albeit frustrating.” Yang chuckles as she places her hands gently on Blake’s waist, quirking a brow as she reaches down to tug at the yellow flannel. “You keep stealing my clothes.”

“I like wearing your clothes.” Blake shrugs, dropping her gaze as she curls her hands around Yang’s shoulders, brushing her thumbs across her bare skin. “They… make me feel safe. Secure. Because they’re you.”

“Blake…” Yang breathes, her voice thick with emotion as she curls a finger under Blake’s chin and gently lifts, bringing Blake’s head up and pressing their foreheads together. “You’re going to kill me. Stop being so sweet.”

“Shut up.” Blake laughs, flushing as Yang smiles and kisses the tip of her nose. “You’re such a nerd.”

“Yeah… but you like me anyway.” Yang grins cheekily at her for a moment before clearing her throat and holding out her hand, her lips shifting to a surprisingly shy smile. “Ready?”

Blake smiles back, her heart fluttering as they entwine their fingers.

“Ready.”

* * *

“We don’t serve your kind here.”

“What did you just say to her?”

“You heard the woman, Yang. She doesn’t serve my kind here.” Blake’s voice is sharp, her cat ears slicking back as she stares at the tiny woman before her, her lips twisting into a sharp grin. Blake steps forward and meets the woman’s glare head on, body tense as she forces the woman to tilt her head back to stare at her. “And I’m sure that she’s aware that the Racial Discrimination Act of 2001 prevents her from refusing service to Faunus. Isn’t that right…  _ ma’am?”  _ Blakesays, though the title is as close to a “Fuck you” as she can politely get. Her voice is controlled and strong, the same one she used for classroom debates just before crushing her opposition. Blake knew she could be brutal and merciless. It was one of the things that made her so different from her father, who preferred an entirely gentle approach where Blake chose a combination of aggressive and peaceful to accomplish her goals. She tucks her arms behind her back and rolls her shoulders back, feeling a small sense of pride as the woman steps back, eyes widening in surprise. 

“Listen here, you-“

“Please keep your defence for the courthouse. I’m sure that you’ll need it.” Blake says slowly, quirking a brow almost lazily. “You realise that the fine for your workplace in such a situation is around… hmm… oh, only a thousand lien? And then, of course, there’s the fact that I am fully permitted to sue you personally for emotional damages and I _ won’t  _ hesitate to do so.”

“Is there a problem over here?” 

A young blonde woman, Blake guesses she’s in her mid to late twenties, bustles over with a concerned crease between her eyes as she looks in between Blake and the short woman, her lips pressed into a thin line. Blake glances at her “Manager” badge and bites back a self satisfied smirk.

“I was just informing your employee here that refusing a faunus such as myself service could lead to your establishment being charged under the Racial Discimination Act.” Blake turns to look at the blonde woman, pleased by the outraged glint in her eye. She steps forward again and smiles a little too sweetly, her intent clear. “And let me assure you both… as a Belladonna… I will make sure that  _ that _ court case is anything but a quiet affair.” Her voice drops, her name making her threat all the more real.

“Bell-Belladonna?” The short woman goes pale, a sudden panic entering her eyes. 

“As in Ghira and Kali Belladonna? The lawyer and activist that pushed for that particular act? Owners of one of the most successful law firms when it comes to protecting victims of discrimination and abuse?” Blake finally allows a proud smirk to cross her face, looking down at the woman with all of the grace of a woman that knows she won. “Yes. Let me assure you that this isn’t a game that you should be choosing to play. The Belladonnas haven’t lost a discrimination case in years. I don’t intend to break that streak.” Blake’s smirk drops and she lifts her head, staring challengingly at the manager.

“Miss Cordovin… please wait in the employee lounge. I will speak with you shortly.” The manager says through clenched teeth, evidently furious with her employee. She waits until the woman walks away and inhales deeply before offering Blake a genuine smile. “I am… so sorry about that. We don’t tolerate that sort of behaviour and I assure you that the appropriate punishment will be delivered. Please… come in. All food and drinks will be on the house as an apology.”

“Thank you. My date and I would appreciate that.” Blake says after examining the woman’s eyes and finding no hint of deceit. She smiles and turns back to Yang, eyebrows rising as she observes the slack jaw and wide eyed stare of her datemate. “You coming, Yang?”

“Yeah.” Yang says softly, her tone sounding awed. She swallows hard and clears her throat, looking away for a moment before stepping up beside Blake. 

Blake presses her hand to the small of Yang’s back, giggling quietly when she jumps in surprise before glancing at her with a small grin as they’re led to their table and left to examine the menu.

“That… was kind of hot.” Yang mutters, staring at her menu as Blake glances around the garden they’re in, a flush creeping across her cheeks before she looks back up at Blake. “Intimidating… but hot.”

“Really? That’s what does it for you? Me threatening to sue the everloving shit out of somebody?” Blake chuckles nervously, face burning as Yang coughs awkwardly. 

“No. It’s like… I don’t know. You looked so… in your element. I mean… you’re always hot but like…” Yang shrugs helplessly, looking away from Blake and flushing darker. “That “I’ve got you right where I want you” smirk of yours is unfairly attractive.”

“My…  _ what  _ smirk?” Blake quirks a brow at Yang and bites her cheek when Yang glances at her and flushes darker. 

“Please stop.” Yang groans, rubbing her cheeks as Blake giggles. “Smugness does not suit you.”

“You  _ just  _ said that my smirk is unfairly attractive.”

“Ugh.”

Blake laughs again, delighting in turning the tables and watching Yang be a flustered mess for once. She watches as Yang’s smile softens, a gentle expression crossing her eyes as she shakes her head.

“You’re lucky that you’re cute.”

“Dork.” Blake murmurs, biting her lips as Yang reaches across the table to hold her hands, her thumbs brushing against Blake’s knuckles tenderly. Her heart swells as Yang laughs softly before bringing one of Blake’s hands up to press her lips gently against it, lingering long enough for Blake to feel her smile against her skin.

“Maybe. But you’re the one that’s on a date with me.” Yang pauses, her lilac eyes blinking before an ecstatic grin spreads across her face and she giggles, a small snort leaving her. “I’m actually on a date with Blake Bella-fucking-donna. I might be dreaming.” She adds teasingly, winking at Blake playfully.

“Says the woman that's every photographer’s dream.” Blake shoots back, slowly gaining more confidence now that she knew that Yang was just as affected as she was. She pauses, biting her lip for a moment before squeezing Yang’s hand tightly, smiling warmly at her. “Mine as well.”

“That’s so cheesy.”

“Maybe. Doesn’t change how I feel, though.”

Yang’s smirk softens and she brushes her thumb against Blake’s skin, tracing the freckles that litter her knuckles. “You’re beautiful.” Yang murmurs, her voice low and genuine as she watches Blake, her expression tender. “So,  _ so  _ beautiful.”

“I-“ Blake’s words become stuck in her throat and she looks down, away from the unfiltered adoration in Yang’s eyes and inhales slowly. “Now who’s being cheesy?”

Yang chuckles softly and their date continues. They talk about everything and anything, leaving their tables to walk around the garden, pausing for Yang to pluck a yellow rose and give to Blake with a playful flourish… oblivious to the mischievous glint in her date’s eyes.

“Wow. A yellow rose, Yang? Really?” Blake deadpans, narrowing her gaze at Yang as she cocks her hip, her lips pressing into a thin line. 

“What’s wrong with a yellow rose?”

“Well, they symbolise friendship, for starters. I can take a hint.”

“What?” Yang blinks and Blake  _ almost  _ feels guilty as an expression of panic crosses Yang’s face, horror filling her eyes as she waves her hands in front of her, her voice pitching nervously. “No! No, that’s not- I just thought that it’d be cute to give you a flower on my colour- oh my God, I’m so so- wait. Why are you laughing?”

“You’re cute.” Blake giggles as realisation crosses Yang’s face and she pouts. “Don’t worry, sunshine. I think you look good on me.” Blake says, her own coyness taking her by surprise, as she carefully places her flower behind her ear and winks at Yang.

“You little shit.” Yang growls playfully, pulling Blake into a tight hug that makes her laugh loudly in delight. “You think you’re real funny, don’t you?”

“Yes. I do.” Blake giggles again, turning to press her nose into Yang’s collar, inhaling deeply as Yang rests her hands on Blake’s waist. 

“Gremlin.” Yang murmurs softly, adoringly into her ear, sending a shiver down Blake’s spine. She pauses to place a kiss to Blake’s cheek, smiling against her skin as Blake squeaks. 

Blake snorts, rolling her eyes as she tucks her head into the crook of Yang’s neck and hides her smile, refusing to let Yang see the blush covering her cheeks.

* * *

“Okay. No. No, absolutely not.”

“Come on! Please?”

“Yang, I’m not doing a cosplay of Black and Yellow.” Blake says dryly as she leans up on her elbow and glares down at Yang, who merely pouts. “Don’t give me that look.”

“But- But you’d look so  _ good  _ with a ballistic chain scythe!” Yang whines, curling her arm around Blake’s wait. “We’d just need to dye your hair blonde-“

“Come at my hair with any sort of dye and I’ll bite you.”

“Now who’s the kinky one.”

“I mean… you’re still a masochist so…”

Blake giggles as Yang’s jaw falls open in shock before she pulls Blake against her with a low and playful growl, her hands poking Blake’s sides for a moment. “Asshole.”

“Sorry.” Blake chuckles, her expression softening as Yang’s arms loosen, one of her hands trailing up and down Blake’s back lightly. “Thank you for today, Yang. Really. But I think next time, I want to take  _ you _ out.”

“Don’t thank me. I was just- wait. Next time?” Yang’s tone is light and hopeful as she looks up at Blake, her lips quirking upwards into a bright smile. “Does that mean that you want to continue…  _ this?”  _ Yang asks gently, a sort of hesitance crossing her eyes. 

“Very much.” Blake murmurs adoringly, raising her free hand as tracing Yang’s brow, mapping out each feature tenderly. She runs her fingers across Yang’s lips, tracing her curves delicately before cupping her jaw. Carefully, she places her thumb over Yang’s mouth and leans down, kissing her as directly as she can bring herself to in that moment. She feels Yang respond against her thumb, lips pressing into her skin slowly as Yang’s hand toys with the hem of her shirt. She pulls back and lets her thumb toy with Yang’s bottom lip, her heart fluttering as she takes in Yang’s flushed face and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. “But maybe something a little more physical once we reach Atlas. I know you missed out on the end of semester paintball fight.”

“God, you’re perfect.” Yang breathes, reaching up to grip Blake’s chin and bring her down to kiss the tip of her nose. “You just  _ get _ me, baby.”

“Baby? That’s new.” Blake snorts a flustered giggle, glancing away as her cheeks burn.

“It’s not like I haven’t called you that befo-“

Yang freezes and when Blake looks up, she watches Yang turn a dark shade of red, her eyes looking everywhere but at Blake. “What do you mean? You’ve literally never called me that before.” Blake says, confused, tilting her head as Yang laughs nervously. 

“I… may have… kinda… maybe… sort of accidentally called you baby when you fell asleep when we were cuddling a few nights ago and you fell asleep before me?” Yang mutters, embarrassment settling between her words as Blake blinks down at her slowly. “Sorry. That-that’s kind of weird now that I-“

“No. It’s actually… kind of cute.” Blake murmurs, smiling as Yang turns to look at her. “I, um. I wouldn’t be…  _ opposed  _ to hearing it more.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Blake’s voice is gentle and tender as she presses a kiss to Yang’s cheek, humming happily as Yang pulls her close.

“You’re too cute. You know that, princess?”

Blake narrows her eyes and lets out a small growl as Yang grins up at her. “Not a princess.”

“What are you gonna do about it- Hey!” 

Yang shrieks as Blake begins tickling her ribs, throwing a leg over her lap to keep her pinned to the bed. Yang wiggles beneath her, helpless giggles and snorts falling from her that make Blake heart melt. She knows full well that Yang could easily overpower her. She knows that it’s it’s only a matter of time before Yang returns the favour.

But for now… she sit for a while and drink in Yang’s laughter and smile as Blake’s fingers dance across her ribs.

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this final chapter, we watch as Blake finally comes to terms with her emotions for Yang.

“So… the road to Mantle is like… going to be freezing cold so we’re definitely gonna have to make use of the tent.”

“It’s pretty small. Did you plan that?”

Blake smirks as Yang looks over at her from the driver’s seat and narrows her gaze before pulling out of the motel parking lot. After a few days of exploring Argus, the two women were back on the road. 

“You suggestin’ that I would go out of my way to try to be as close as possible to a drop dead gorgeous woman? I’m hurt.” Yang says with a playful smile, lowering her glasses to wink at Blake. “If anything… you’re the one with ulterior motives. You just use me for my body.”

“Body  _ heat,  _ Yang.” Blake huffs, cheeks flushing as she watches the town roll by, smiling to herself when Yang takes her hands and threads their fingers together. She traces the scars on Yang’s hand, wondering how hands used to manhandle mechanics could be so gentle with her. “You’re like my personal space heater.”

“Cute.” Yang murmurs, voice warm and she lifts Blake’s hand to her mouth and kisses it gently, smiling against her hand as they pass onto a dirt road. “We should be at the edge of the Argus Woods soon and it’ll take us about a week to get to Mantle. You sure you can handle that, Princess?”

“What, you think that I can’t?” Blake challenges playfully, her heart fluttering as Yang grins. “I can handle  _ anything  _ that you’ve got to throw at me, sunshine.”

“Oh, I know. I just-“

“Shit. Sorry.” Blake says quietly, quirking a brow at the sight of Weiss’s caller I.d. “Weiss? What’s-“ 

“Blake. I have successfully asked Ilia out so now you have no excuse so put on your big girl pants and tell Yang that you’re hopelessly enamoured with her.”

“Been there, done that. Unfortunately got the bisexual cryptid T-shirt.” Blake drawls, smirking as Weiss sputters. “Yeah, uh, we talked like… three… four days ago? Um… we actually went out on a date the following day.” Blake feels a blush cross her cheeks, biting her lip when Yang turns to smile softly at her. 

“Oh my God. I can practically feel the stupid grins on your faces from here.” Weiss groans, though Blake can hear a clear smile in her voice and it sends a wave of affection coursing through her, her lips twisting into a fond smile as Weiss begins to mutter. “You both disgust me.”

“Says the woman that drooled over Pyrrha fucking Nikos’ when she walked into their dorm room in nothing but sweats and a sports bra.” Blake teases, smirking as Yang squeezes her hand and laughs. “Alright. So… you’ve got a date with Ilia, right? Where are you taking her?”

“I… don’t know. Is the opera-“

“No. No, no. You are  _ not  _ taking Ilia to an opera.” Blake moans painfully, letting go of Yang’s hand to pinch the bridge of her nose and exhale slowly. “Ilia doesn’t like that fancy stuff. Start small. Take her out to a movie, get some popcorn and have fun. She’s been wanting to see that new rom-com movie about the two women that own rival bakeries across from one another-“

“Rye-vals to Loafers!” Yang says, loud enough for Weiss to hear. “It’s a rivals to reluctant friends to lovers sorta deal.”

“Yang’s right. Ilia  _ thrives  _ off of that shit.” Blake says with a fond chuckle, remembering the years she spent watching similar movies with Ilia and giggling at her awestruck face. “You’ll both enjoy it.”

“Thank you, Blake… and Yang too, I suppose.” Weiss pauses for a moment before snorting, an amused note entering her voice. “It’s ridiculous how good you both are at giving advice while still being disasters.”

“Weiss. You damn near combusted when I laid my head in your lap last month. Don’t talk to me about being a disaster.”

“You literally draw Yang when you’re anxious.”

“Oh, you little bitch.” Blake growls playfully, rolling her eyes as Weiss laughs into her ear. “Whatever. Go and woo your girl, Schnee.” Blake pauses for a moment before softening her voice, letting her smile reach her voice as she talks. “I’m proud of you, Weiss. You know that, right?”

“I-“ Weiss falters, her voice getting stuck in her throat and Blake feels a pang of sympathy. It wasn’t easy getting used to affection and praise without having to work yourself to the bone. Hell, Blake, herself,  _ still  _ wasn’t used to it after a year of living with Yang. “Thank you. I… am proud of you as well.”

They talk for a few more moments, with Yang occasionally interjecting to tease one or the other of them, before Blake hung up her scroll and wordlessly shifts closer to Yang, humming happily as Yang curls an arm around her shoulder.

“Think Weiss will make it out of that date without embarrassing herself?”

“Not a chance in hell.” Blake chuckles, heat creeping up her neck as Yang kisses her forehead. “Um… fortunately… I happen to know that Ilia thinks that Weiss’s dorky streak is endearing.”

“Hm.” Yang hums softly before a low chuckle leaves her chest and Blake freezes. She can practically feel Yang smirking at her. “So… I couldn’t help but overhear Weiss mention something… you draw me when you’re anxious?”

“Ah-“ Blake stares obstinately at the steering wheel, refusing to look at Yang as her cheeks darken. “Well… um-“

“That’s actually adorable. Why?”

“I told you that you make me feel safe and secure.” Blake huffs, turning to bury her burning face in Yang’s neck, black cat ears pressing back against her hair as Yang’s breathing hitches. “It’s… soothing.”

“I really make you feel  _ that  _ safe?” Yang asks softly, all traces of teasing leaving her voice as she strokes Blake’s bicep with her her thumb. 

“You do.” Blake shrugs, swallowing thickly as Yang tightens her hold and pulls her closer against her side. “I… trust you. More than anyone.”

“I feel the same way about you.” Yang murmurs softly against Blake’s hair, sighing softly as Blake smiles against her skin shyly. “Maybe I should start stealing  _ your  _ clothes. Get some payback.”

“I wouldn’t mind that. You’d look good in my colours.”

“Flirt.”

“Only with you.”

Blake giggles as Yang lets out a soft whine and kisses the top of her head, muttering something about how Blake was going to kill her. Blake sighs in content, closing her eyes and drinking in Yang’s presence.

* * *

“... why are we going to Atlas again?” Blake whines, as she pulls Yang’s hoodie over her head and watches her zip the tent door closed. “I’m going to die.”

“It’s not that cold, baby.” Yang chuckles as she sits by Blake’s side, smirking as Blake almost immediately curls into her. “Besides, you wanted to pay Penny a visit. She lives in Mantle so we might as well head to Atlas as well.”

“Ugh.”

“It’s adorable how you more or less adopted Penny, though.” Yang teases, kissing the base of one of Blake’s ears, chuckling as said ear flicks her nose. “I’m serious. It’s sweet.”

“What? I always wanted a little sister.” Blake shrugs, cheeks burning. “Penny and I get along well so…”

“Adorable.”

“Shut up and cuddle me.” Blake huffs, face burning as Yang giggles and scoops her up and places her in front her, pulling Blake back against her chest and holding her close.

“Better?”

“Better.” Blake mumbles, cheeks tinting pink as she leans back against Yang and sighs, shivering as Yang’s hands rest over her stomach, thumb gently stroking against her abdomen. “Thank you.”

“Sure. I know how grumpy you get when you’re cold.”

“I don’t get grumpy.” Blake scowls, twisting back to glare at Yang, pausing when she smirks back at her. Blake snorts. “Fine. Maybe I get a little grumpy. But I grew up on a tropical island. What more do you want from me?”

“I dunno. I’m pretty content to get an excuse to hold you like this.” Yang murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to Blake’s temple, humming happily as Blake laughs softly and entwines their fingers across her stomach. 

“You’re  _ such  _ a goof.” Blake says softly, her heart fluttering as Yang kissed her jaw, keeping her lips feather light and chaste as Blake wiggles further into her arms. “But you’re my goof.”

“ _ Your _ goof?” Yang echoes softly, as she rests her chin on Blake’s shoulder, an awed tone filling her voice. “I could definitely get behind that, baby.”

Blake cranes her head back and buries it into Yang’s neck, hiding her flushed face. Being with Yang like this, being held by her and hearing the easy affection in her voice and feeling her lips press against her cheek, felt right. It felt like finally finding her missing puzzle piece. It was, Blake found herself realising with a start, as inevitable as gravity. 

Perhaps Yang’s mother had been into something after all.

* * *

“Ooft!”

“Salutations, Blake! I’m so excited to see you! You as well, Yang!”

“Hey, Penny.” Blake wheezes a week later as a shorter girl with orange hair and a beaming smile finally places her back on her feet and grins up at her. “How’s your engineering course going? You’re still studying at Atlas, right?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her getting kicked out thanks to your influence, babe.”

“Yang, hush.”

“No. I shan’t.”

“Oh? Are you two finally dating? Ruby said that everyone was hoping you’d sort your pining selves out.” Penny said with a delighted smile as she clapped her hands. “Oh! But you’re probably cold! Father and Maria are in the kitchen having tea. I’ll show you to your room and then you can come down and join us!”

Blake and Yang share a slightly embarrassed look and follow Penny, placing their bags at the foot of a double bed and making their way to the kitchen.

“Oh? I remember you, girl.”

Blake blinks in surprise at the old woman welding a familiar looking cane that she immediately brandishes at Yang, a sharp grin on her face beneath her thick glasses. Blake feels Yang stiffen and turns to watch her glaring at the old woman. Blake sighs. So much for a peaceful evening.

“You’re the old lady that attacked me with her cane!”

“And you’re that foolish girl that hit me with a volleyball.”

“It was an accident!”

“So was mine. You just ran into my cane nine times.”

Blake glances up and quirks a brow at Penny’s father, who chuckles and gestures for her to sit down and help herself to tea and biscuits while they wait for the two very hot headed women to run out of steam.

Blake didn’t mind. Not when she could talk to Penny and come up with a plan.

* * *

“An ice skating rink?”

“I’m just saying… if we’re going into Atlas for the day, might as well do as the locals do.” Blake shrugs, flicking snow from her hair and ears as she holds the door open for Yang, her heart fluttering as Yang smiles brightly at her.

“What a gentleman.” Yang says teasingly, reaching up to run her fingertips along Blake’s jaw in a tantalising fashion, laughing softly when Blake turns her head to keep contact for as long as possible. “Just so you know… I’m probably going to fall… a lot.”

“I thought you already did?” Blake murmurs as she catches up, leaning forward to utter her words into Yang’s ear quietly, grinning when Yang froze. She delighted in the red flush that slowly crept up her neck and cheeks right up to her ears. Her hand presses against the small of Yang’s back and she watches as Yang stumbles over her words.

“Um! You- I- Uh-“

“Cute.” Blake teases as she saunters away, skin prickling as Yang watches her walk over to the skate hire so they could get started.

As it turns out… both women are horrible at skating. They cling to each other’s hands as they stumble about the ice, giggling and squealing as they try to find their balance. Blake might have had a better chance of finding her feet had she not let herself get distracted by the rosy blush on Yang cheeks or by watching the way her lips stretch into a happy laugh, her lilac eyes lighting up in a way that makes Blake’s heart melt. She can’t get enough of the smile that she now knows is kept just for her. She finds herself purposely tripping, knowing that Yang would catch her every time. Her chest burns and aches each time she lands in Yang’s arms, gazing up at her as Yang brushes their noses together affectionately, her smile softening as she squeezes Blake’s sides gently.

It isn’t until they take off their skates and Yang’s taking her hands and gently rubbing heat back into them as they wait for their hot chocolate that the words leave her mouth, uttered quietly like a prayer, like she’s  _ worshiping  _ the beautiful woman in front of her. She utters it like it was the only thing she was born to ever say.

“I love you.”

Yang’s eyes widen and she stares at Blake, jaw falling open slightly as Blake frees her hands using them to frame Yang’s face. She brushes her thumbs across her cheeks, watching the way a shy smile grows across her face.

“Did you just-“

“I love you.” Blake repeats herself, laughing breathlessly as Yang tugs her close by her hips, pressing their foreheads together. “I love you.” She says again, this time in a whisper that brushes her breath against Yang’s lips. She leans forward and kisses Yang, shaky and unsure at first but as Yang inhales sharply and pulls her closer, Blake’s confidence grows and she curls her arms around Yang’s neck tightly, each woman mumbling quiet a “I love you” in between their kisses until they’re both breathless and need to resurface for air, eyes shining brightly.

And Blake had been right. Saying those words aloud, kissing Yang, has given them power but it was a power that was far more equal than anything that she had had with Adam. He welded it over her, controlling her with it and making her bend and break and beg for it to be returned.

But Yang?

Yang gave it in equal measure without conditions, returning the power that Blake gave to her. Yes, handing over her pride and heart, her body and soul, was putting a name to her feelings and granting them power… but instead of disarming her, it empowered her and gave her the freedom to truly begin to explore what they shared, destined to follow the map that led to one another, time and time again.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s all they wrote...
> 
> For this au, at any rate. I don’t know what’s next but a new adventure is bound to take the place of this one soon 😊


End file.
